Through Another's Eyes
by heavenly-vixen
Summary: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances invloved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open. DomLetty Finally COMPLETE
1. Prologue

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances invloved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

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Intro

If you'd asked her where she'd be in a year, 12 months ago, her answer wouldn't have even resembled the life she knew now. Somethings were better. Somethings weren't. And somethings were just different. But everything had changed. Never in her wildest dreams or most vivid nightmares, could she imagine this. This world she lived in. This world that was her reality.

And as crazy as it sounded, even to her own ears, she wouldn't change it. She wouldn't do anything differently. Because every event, big or small, led her here. To this very spot. Where she was happiest. She looked out over her life and smiled. Most people would question this little family they'd built. This small house they loved. And the world they'd inadvertantly created for themselves. But most people wouldn't believe their story. And she'd learned not to ask questions. But to take life as it came. A quater mile at a time.


	2. Chapter 1

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances invloved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

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**_Chapter 1_**

To understand how they got here. To this very moment. You have to go back to the beginning. All the way back to the street they first lived on. When Tony Toretto was still working on his car, in the family garage, every afternoon. When Maria Toretto was still making dinner in the kitchen. When Mia Toretto was still in pink dresses her mother picked, playing with her dolls, like any normal 6 year old. Dominic Toretto was in the garage watching his dad with awe and envy. And little Leticia Ramieraz lived down the street.

The Torettos were famous even then. At least in her eyes. They'd always been her family. Ever since she was a baby. Her mother had been friends with Maria, her father with Tony, and her older brother with Dominic. And as unconventional as they seemed now, back then the two families that always seemed to blend into one, were as normal as any other family on their block. They were happy. Every sunday they'd go to church together and head back to the Torettos for a barbeque lunch. It was their ritual, one they continued all their lives. But as in every story, there's conflict and pain, riddled amoung the joy and love.

As many happy memories Letty had of that time. There was one memory that always clouded the rest. One that still, to this day, some 20 years later, could bring tears to her eyes.

You have understand. The Toretto's and the Ramieraz' weren't two families. They were one. They'd known each other for so long, that they'd blended together so casually no one had noticed. They lived their lives as one big family. When one member of that family hurt, everyone else felt the pain. And when one succeeded, it was success for everyone. There was a lot of joy in that big family. But there was a lot of pain too.

And it started with her brother. They'd been close, Letty and Joey. He'd only been a few years older than her. But he was a born protector. He watched out for her all the time. She was his baby sister and he loved her. She'd never doubted that, and knowing had helped when it happened. They'd always called him Joey. He'd never liked Juan. He said it sounded too Spanish. Being best friends with Dom, the Italian Stallion as Letty always teased, didn't help. He'd wanted to be just like him, so he adopted the name of Joey when he was only 3 years old. The same year Letty was born.

It would be seven years later when their world was rocked for the first of many times. They'd been walking home from school, he and Dom. Dom had seen it all. They were screwing around. Like 10 year old boys tended to do. Joey had just barely stepped off the curb when the car came tearing around the corner. He had never seen it coming.

Letty could still remember the sound of the sirens as they came closer and closer to her house. She ran downstairs and out onto the front porch. She saw the paramedics all crowded around and Tony was pulling a screaming Dom away from the scene. She jumped down the stairs and ran towards them. But Maria had grabbed her, scooping her up in her arms before she could get close enough to see what was going on. Maria had held her tightly, burying Letty's face against her neck and rubbing her back comfortingly. Letty couldn't see anything but she heard her mother's heart wrenching scream and her father's voice calling to her brother. She remembered feeling utter dread and the warmth of Mia's hand holding hers.

Somewhere amoungst all the screaming Letty had figured it out. Joey was hurt, badly, and as the fear set in she'd wrapped herself around Maria as tightly as she could. The ride to the hospital had been a blur, her most vivid memory had been the smell of Maria's soft perfume, as she'd held her the whole way there, and her soft voice soothing her as best she could.

To this day she hated hospitals and couldn't stand to be in them for more than a few minutes. She even still found herself reaching for Maria's hand. She'd sat there that first day for hours. Not moving, just holding Maria's hand as she sat in her lap. The accident managed to bring their two families even closer. None of them had left the hospital the whole time. They littered the halls, and sat beside Joey's bed the entire time. All three days.

He was a fighter, her brother. He'd held on for three whole days before he was gone. The moment he passed they were all in the room. Letty's mother, on one side of the bed holding his small hand, her father on the other doing the same. Tony had stood by her Dad, his hand on his shoulder, giving the only support he could as they watched Joey struggle for breath. Mia stood at the foot of the bed, rubbing Joey's feet gently. She'd always been a carer. It was the first time Mia thought about being a doctor.

But what Letty remembered most from her brother's last moments always made her feel guilty. She remembered looking from Maria's lap, at Dom standing at the door. He was looking in, and she knew the moment her brother took his last breath by the tear that rolled down Dom's cheek. What happened next was a blur as Maria and Tony gathered Mia, Dom and Letty in their arms and took them out of the room. Maria stayed with them as Tony went back into the room.

Maria had gathered the three children in her arms and whispered that everything was going to be ok as they all cried quietly. Dom pulled away and ran down the corridor and around the corner. They'd found him sitting outside crying later. But Maria had stayed with her. She had Mia on one knee and Letty on the other. Her arms around them both. And Letty could remember her words and her voice perfectly.

"My beautiful girls. I know this hurts." Her voice had cracked for a moment. But she continued. "But I promise you, everything is going to be ok. Joey is up in heaven now. And although we'd like him here with us, God wanted him more. You'll see him again. I promise."

Letty had believed her. Everything would be ok, cause Maria promised, and Maria never broke her promises.

She had been right in a sense. It had been hard. For a long time. But the Torettos had stuck by them and they'd made it through. Even finding their way back to happiness.

Looking back, Letty realised that was the moment she'd really fallen for cars. As twisted as it sounded. She'd always been fascinated by them, but in that moment she'd decided that she was going to learn everything about them. She was going to know everything there was to know and maybe then, she wouldn't be so scared.

She'd started hanging around Dom and Tony as they worked on the charger. They been great about it. Telling her everything they were doing. Explaining everything to her. Even letting her help. Turned out she had a knack for it.

From then on the memories became happier as they got through their loss together. But it wouldn't be the last tragedy to strike their family. It was only the beginning.


	3. Chapter 2

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances invloved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

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Chapter 2

_**Letty's POV**_

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It's this common misconception that I lived for the Torettos. That I was always at their house, avoiding something at my own. Stereotypes at work I suppose. I guess people look at me, and look at Dom, and just assume that I was escaping to him. To his strength. But I wasn't. Not always anyway. I have a wonderful family. And despite my love of cars and supposed lack of femininity, I'm really close to my mother. I've always been a Daddy's Girl, but I was always Mommy's little girl too. The truth is, however much time my family spent at the Toretto's, they spent equal at our house. We only lived two doors down and my mama had known Maria since they were kids. I remember listening to them talking one day, when I was about 5, and hearing them joking about Dom and I ending up together so they could be family in the true sense. I'd rolled my eyes, disgusted at the thought. I guess our mama's knew something we didn't though, even back then.

They'd even said a few times that Mia and Joey had a shot together. But they always made it seem like they were the fall backs, in case Dom and I never got it together. I suppose Mia and Joey should have been insulted. But they weren't. Whenever the idea was being thrown around to tease me and Dom, Mia and Joey always just looked at each other and smiled. Like they had some joke the rest of us weren't in on.

It's no wonder Mia took Joey's death really hard. She'd known him her whole life, and looked at him like I did. We shared him. Our big brother. To people who didn't know better, we were sisters, so it was only fitting that he was our brother. But for some reason, I never saw Dom as a brother. A friend, yes. Always. But never a brother. I guess there was something to the teasing even when we were so young.

When I think back on it now, on our crazy family, it really surprises me that I didn't call Tony and Maria, Mum and Dad. I was so young and we were all so close. They were second parents to Joey and I. They were our family even if blood disagreed. And I know that Dom and Mia consider my parents their second parents. But like Joey and I, they always called them Eddie and Lucy.

My parents. Eduardo and Lucia Ramieraz. They really are wonderful people. They made life so much easier on all of us growing up. We didn't have it easy, but our parents, both sets, always did everything they could to insure it wasn't any harder than it absolutely had to be. And after Joey's death it got harder. We all struggled. Dom, I know took it hard, he'd seen it. I know he had nightmares for weeks after but all our parents got together and they got him through, even when they were nursing their own pain.

I remember the day of Joey's funeral as if it were yesterday. And the pain is just as fresh. Dad and Tony, Dom and Vince were pallbearers. They were young, but they insisted. My Papi and Tony let them. Afterall, Joey was so small himself. I remember my mother crying freely. Weeping in the church as she touched his face for the last time before lighting a candle in his honour. I remember my Papi picking up his hand and kissing it softly. He whispered to him in Spanish "Safe journey my baby. Papi loves you". And I remember crying on Dom's shoulder as Mia held my hand.

Dom was wonderful. He was in so much pain himself. But he sat straight and strong and held me while I crumbled. It was one of the events in my life that made me the way I am. Having to fight through the pain and the loss. It taught me to be strong. But on that day, Dom let me be weak. I know I was only seven. But my stubborness wouldn't allow me to be weak. I had to be strong for mama and papi. Dom however wouldn't let me fake it. He wouldn't let me hold back the tears that wanted to spill down my face. And he held me as they broke free.

The pain is still so strong. My brother. My protector. Was ripped from our lives in a violent instant. And although the pain still clenches at my heart, I can smile at his memory. I can picture his laughing face and laugh too. I can see the photos of him around the house and instead of crying and running up to my room in anger at the tears that betrayed me, I smile.

I know how twisted this sounds, even as I say it. But his death led me to cars. I was always fascinated by them. By their speed and strength. They reminded me of Dom. They were something that fit him so well. Even when we were kids, he just fit standing beside a car. But I never had the motivation to go to the garage and learn.

Things changed after Joey's death. Cars stopped being alluring and started being terrifying. I don't do so well with fear, I hate it. I woke up one morning and Dom and Tony were working on the charger, my father was with them that day. I watched as the car roared to life and squared my shoulders. I was done with being afraid. I headed straight over there and asked them to teach me. I guess I figured, if I knew everything about it, knew how to manipulate them, they couldn't hurt me, and the fear would be gone. Well it worked, I stopped fearing them. But somewhere along the way, it stopped being about the fear, and started to become something I love. It became a part of me even.

I think it even helped my father through his grief. Having someone there who wanted to know everything he knew about cars and more. Sort of taking over for Joey without replacing him. I became the son for my father. But I stayed his daughter. I hope it gave him something he would have missed out on otherwise. I don't know. All I know is, it gave me something I needed. Filled a void left by my brother's death. Became something to help heal the pain. And it brought Dom and I closer together... Even if I didn't realise it at the time.

TBC...


	4. Chapter 3

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances invloved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

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**_Chapter 3_**

**_Letty's POV_**

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Life went on without Joey. As we all knew it would. But I'm still suprised how connected we all managed to stay. Mama and Maria were still the best of friends, as were Papi and Tony. Mia and I were starting to grow apart a little though. Don't get me wrong, we were still great friends, like sisters, but we were becoming very different people. By the time I turned 13, Mia 12, we started talking less and I started hanging with Dom and Vince more. Mia didn't understand my desire to be under a car all the time, covered in grease. Of course, by then, part of the attraction had actually become Dom. He was 16 then, and he was really growing into himself. I think it surprised me more than anyone when I started to develop a crush on him. If anyone noticed they didn't say anything and Dom and I carried on like it didn't exist. As fas as I know, he didn't realise it did.

I remember the first time he brought a girl home from school. I was livid. That's when I realised I liked him. It was like I became terratorial. Just like I do now when those racer chasers fawn all over him. Yeah, I know I do it. I know how I get. But I make no apologies for it. And Dom has never asked for one. I was over working on the charger with my Papi and Tony that first time. Dom sauntered in late and with some girl under his arm. I looked up and saw red. I tried to hide by burying my head under the hood of the car. But I couldn't stand seeing him with her. I remember standing there, just staring at the engine, while my mind swirled with angry thoughts directed at the poor girl. Yes, poor girl. I knew even then that it wasn't her fault. She didn't know he belonged to me. And it was that thought that had me shocked and terrified all at once. I was falling for Dom.

After that, whenever he brought a girl home, a new one every time, I made myself scarce. I knew I was being stupid. But I couldn't stop the jealousy that reared its ugly head everytime I saw him with someone else. That's not to say that my relationship with Dom went sour. It didn't. We were fine. We talked and laughed as usual. We hung out together all the time. He was kind and considerate and everything your best friend should be.

That day may have been the first time I realised my feelings for him went beyond friendship. But I knew the moment I fell for him. It was months later. Just before my 14th birthday. It was a bad day. I had them back then. Days when I remembered Joey and missed him more than words could say. I was curled up in a ball in Joey's old bed. The room was pretty much the same as it had been when he was alive. Dom must have come looking for me when I didn't show up to work on the car. I heard him calling my name, but I didn't respond. I heard him checking every room, but I still didn't make sound. That was when the door creaked open slowly. Dom poked his head in shyly... almost as if he were afraid of being there. His eyes swept across the room, and landed on me. I was crying. I remember the warmth of the tears rolling down my cheeks. Dom walked towards me, and sat down on the bed beside him. He picked me up, like I weighed nothing, and held me against his chest.

Dom leant us against the headboard of the bed, and stroked my back. I remember him whispering to me. I don't know what. But it was comforting. And his grip on me never let up. He never moved to push me away. We must have stayed like that for over an hour. Cause I remember hearing the door open, and a few beats pass, before it closed again. I found out later it was mama coming to check on us. I finally pushed myself off his chest and looked at him wordlessly. He smiled softly at me and wiped the tear tracks off my cheeks. And he gave me my first kiss. It wasn't even a real one. It was just a gentle brush of his lips against my cheek. But it made my insides melt. A feeling I would become well acquainted with in the years to come. I fell in love with him then.

He asked me what was wrong, in the deep voice he was just beginning to develop. My eyes teared up again and he pulled me into his arms again.

"Bad day?" He asked and I just nodded against his chest. "I'm sorry honey."

"I just wish he could be here for my birthday. Just one more day Dom. Can't I have one more day?" I knew I wasn't being realistic. But I missed him so much.

"I know honey. I wish that too sometimes. That he could have been there when I drove for the first time. Or when I got my license. But it would only make things harder bella. We'd only miss him more. Wishing for one more day over and over again, wishing ourselves into eternity."

His voice was so soft. I could have sworn he was crying by his tone. But I never looked up to see for sure. I was too afraid. If Dom was crying, I'd have no strength. Cause on bad days like that one, he was my strength. He still is. He has this uncanny ability to envelop me in his arms, and make the pain of the world disappear. I didn't think I could be as strong as him. But I was going to be put to the test.

That year Maria got sick. We watched her fight as hard as she could. Harder than I thought it was possible for any one person to fight. But in the end we lost her.. and my strength was put to the test. Dom needed me now. Dom and Mia and Tony. They were our strength when we lost Joey. Now it was our turn to be theirs.

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**_Dom's POV_**

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The year I was seventeen was a really confusing year. It was one of the hardest of my life. You see, my mother got sick. Really sick. She had Cancer of the something... I don't really remember what. I just remember the fear that swelled inside me. I'd lost my best friend seven years earlier, but the images of his death never left me, and now my mother. One of the most important people in my life was going to be taken from me too. I remember the day my father told us. I didn't handle the news of her illness well. In fact, I ran. I ran from the house, down the street to the Rameiraz's. It was the only other place I was comfortable. It was home too. And my family was there. I ran into the house and Lucy and Eddie were in the living room. They jumped up as I burst into the house. They'd already known. Lucy ran towards me and gathered me in her arms as I started crying. She was such a tiny little thing, and I was already 6'1 by then. But she held me like I was still that 10 year old kid, on the street, watching his best friend's life be taken from him.

Eddie must have called home, because the next thing I know, my Ma was there pulling me towards her and wrapping her arms around me. I looked up for a moment and saw Letty sitting at the bottom of the stairs. She was leaning her head against the banister and crying silently. I know it was hard for her too. She hadn't just lost her best friend. She'd lost her brother and then she had to lose a mother figure too. Lucy sat down beside her and put her arm around her shoulders. Letty immediately leaned into her embrace and cried on her Mama's shoulder. I didn't stop looking at her though. With my head on my Ma's shoulder, wrapped in her arms, I watched Letty. I was amazed by her. I still am. She feels everything so deeply. And as tough as she is. She's never too tough to show you just how much she cares.

I knew then that even though there was a very real possiblity that I would lose my Ma. I would never lose Letty. She would always be there for me. I wasn't alone and the fear started to ease slightly. I pulled away from Ma and walked home with her. When we got home Pops was hugging Mia as she cried uncontrollably. She ran to us when we entered, wrapping her arms around Ma.

I still remember her distressed voice as she cried into Ma's neck.

"I don't want you to die Mama." She'd choked through sobs. The tears instantly rose in my Ma's eyes and dropped down her face. She took one arm from my sister and pulled me in to the embrace, before gesturing to my father with the other.

"I don't want to either baby. And I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen." She cried as she hugged us all.

Of course, in the end, she really didn't have much of a say in it at all. She fought. She fought with everything she had. But she died. She refused to die in a dingy hospital room, surrounded by machines and strangers. So we brought her home. And in her bedroom, surrounded by our family, she passed. It wasn't dramatic. Not like the movies. One minute she was breathing and the next she wasn't.

Mia cried for days. My Pops was beside himself. He was dealing with his own grief and trying to help Mia through hers. Lucy had been wonderful. She came over everyday and when she saw that Mia wasn't getting better, she didn't leave. She stayed with Mia all day, every day, holding her until she couldn't cry anymore. I often wondered if Mia would have made it through if it hadn't been for Lucy. But that's a question too terrifying to answer.

Eddie and Letty were amazing too. Eddie came over and helped Pops, while Letty would cook and clean and take care of the house. On top of that, she took care of me. We'd sit in my bedroom, just talking. She'd lean against me, her head on my shoulder and we'd talk about anything and everything. Cars. School. TV shows. Joey. And even my Ma. Those times we'd cry together and hold each other until the pain eased. She was my strength when I was lacking it. She still is. I don't think she realises it. But it was that year that I fell for her.

Twisted, I know. To fall for a girl the same year your mother dies. A girl that had been very much like a sister your entire life. A girl who was only 14. But I did. She was growing into such an amazing woman. She had always been an amazing, beautiful girl. But the woman was even more spectacular. My bella. I'd called her that since she was little. But the older she got, the more truth it held. She is beautiful.

Of course, I couldn't let on that I was falling for her. She was only fourteen and I had a reputation to uphold. I'll admit it. I wasn't the most 'innocent' person I knew. I went after every girl... and got her. And I told myself it was to keep up my image. That it was fun and I was enjoying myself. But I was hiding. I was hiding behind my reputation and girl after girl. I was hiding from Letty. I wasn't even discreet about it. I'd bring home a different girl every week and flaunt it in Letty's face. I don't know why. She didn't even have a thing for me then. I know that Mia says otherwise. But I don't think so. She never let on anyway.

I know why I did it. I did it to get her attention. I know that now. Of course, I probably shouldn't have done it with Johnny Tran's sister. But that was a mistake I guess I was destined to make.

TBC...


	5. Chapter 4

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances invloved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

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**_Chapter 4_**

**_Letty's POV_**

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After Dom's mother died we became acquainted with a new Dom. Actually, there were 2. There was Dom, the guy we knew and loved. He was sweet and attentive, funny and serious all at once. He was a wonderful person. But we only saw him in private. Even then, very rarely. Then there was Dom, the man. He was arrogant, flirtatious and just plain annoying. We had the pleasure of his company while in the company of others. He'd latch on to any girl that smiled his way. He'd use her and throw her away. They all knew what their fate would be, yet for some reason they all kept coming anyway. It was this Dom that I found myself hating. And in doing so, hating myself.

I had so much trouble trying to reconcile my feelings for him. One moment I hated him and in the next I was falling for him. It was such a difficult time for me. But it was only the beginning of the Dom and Letty saga, as I came to call it.

I was 15 when things began to change between us. I had no idea, at the time, that Dom had started looking at me with anything other than a brother's eyes. I knew, for sure that my feelings for him were growing stronger and stronger. But I also knew that I had to hide it. I started working at the Toretto's Garage after school and some weekends. And I was enjoying it. But I hated seeing Dom leave every afternoon with a new girl. I hated watching him kiss her and hated myself for wishing it were me. But I kept working and I kept laughing with him when we were alone. I pretended I didn't care about him any deeper than I was supposed to. And I pulled off an award winning performance.

But it got harder and harder every week. As inevitable as it was. Watching him, hearing him. Even with Vince and his other friends, he was such an ass. I gave up trying to perform a couple of months before my 16th birthday. I only hung out with Mia and Tony. I'd ignore him at the garage as much as I could without alerting anyone to my feelings. And I stayed home all the time. I even made Mia come to our house when she wanted to hang. I know she didn't mind. She'd really latched onto my Mama since Maria's death. But it was stupid and it made me feel ridiculous. So eventually I gave in. I went back to being the good little friend. Of course it didn't hurt that we discovered street racing that year.

It was incredible. Watching these guys race made me feel... electric. Like my whole body was on fire. The speed. The cars. It was intoxicating. And I fell in love with it. I guess that's what really made me stop ignoring Dom. I overheard Dom and Vince talking about going to one at the garage one afternoon, only a few weeks before my birthday. Once we were alone, I begged him to take me with him. He agreed but made me swear that I stick by his side all night. He didn't want me to get lost or hurt. But as chivalrous as it sounded, to me it meant a night of torture.

You see, Dom was in his element at the races. And as great as it was to watch him in an environment that suited him so perfectly, it also meant watching him with skanky girls all night. He spent half the night talking to guys and the other half with his tongue down some girl's throat. And there I was, stuck beside him, unable to go anywhere. As soon as I took a step away, his hand would reach out and grab the neck of my shirt, or the belt of my pants, and pull me back. Even when I thought he was distracted by some girls mouth. I swear I heard people making cracks about the little girl tag along. Or the dog on the leash. But everytime I turned around the chatter stopped and I was left with a mean scowl on my face. One that still appears at every race, 10 years later.

I don't blame Dom for his behaviour back then. I mean, he is a guy and he was receiving the attention, not seeking it out. And he didn't know how I felt about him. Of course, I didn't know how he felt about me either. I would soon learn though.

He was great when I turned sixteen. Everyone was. Threw me a big party and they gave me my car. God how I love that car. Tony, Papi, Dom and Vince worked on it for so long. It became my world. I was in such a hurry to race it. Of course, Dom wouldn't let me. And looking back on it, I realise now that his over-protectiveness was the only way he could show me how he felt about me. I appreciate it now. But back then it made me so angry. I spent a lot of time angry at him. Wasted time. But it was spent none the less and there's nothing I can do about it now.

His behaviour toward me changed rapidly after I turned 16. The protectiveness took on a whole new level. Instead of just trying to protect me from harm, he started trying to protect me from men. I was legal, and I know that made everything more complicated, but i'd never been interested in anyone other than Dom. So I never saw the problem.

We'd fight over it. He'd see me talking to a guy and he'd flip. Think the guy was hitting on me, eyeing me up. Dom could be really cruel when he wanted to be. I remember one fight we had, he accused me of acting like a slut around some guy i'd been talking to at the race that night. I pointed out, in my not so subtle way, that I was only talking, and that he was the one acting like a slut. He flipped his lid, just as I was expecting. But I didn't expect what came out of his mouth next. He screamed at me "You like it don't you? Every guy staring at your tits falling out of your top. Your ass hanging out the bottom of your skirt. You like the attention. You like feeling like a whore." I still remember his exact words and the tone he said them in. Cause I can still hear his voice in my head. But I can also still remember the sound of my hand making contact with his face.

I never figured myself a slapper, thought i'd always go straight for the punch. But I'd slapped him that night. He'd gone way over the line and he succeeded in doing exactly what he was accusing me of. He made me feel like a cheap whore. I stormed out of the after party that was at some random's house and sped away. I went home and locked myself in my room. I refused to speak to him for days. I know our parents were worried about this latest fight we'd had. They were scared that it had finally driven us apart. But they never knew what he'd said and they never would. Dom came around the next day, and every day, until I finally gave in and let him in my room. He sat down on the bed beside me and apologised. He swore he hadn't meant it. And I believed him. I believed him cause it was the truth. I knew he didn't mean it. I just didn't understand him.. not then. He hugged me and kissed me on the cheek and we were ok. At least until the next time.

The next time came right after Dom turned 19, just three months after my 16th. Dom had raced that night and won, so we all headed back to the after party being held by Hector and his boys. It was a good night. Dom had won and we were all feeling pretty good. Dom was with another one of his girls, making out in the corner all night. I tried to ignore him. I started talking to this guy Leon. He was a really great guy. Really into cars, so immediately we hit it off. We laughed and joked, but when Leon went off with his girlfriend, I was left alone again. Dom was still wrapped around his latest girl and I'd had enough of watching them together. I got up to leave and was half way to the door when a hand reached out and grabbed me.

I whirled around ready to deck the offender and saw Dom looking down at me. He was fuming. He demanded to know where I was going. I didn't understand why he was so angry. I told him I was going home. That I'd had all I could take for one night. He pulled me into some room in the house, away from everyone else. You could still hear the music thumping outside, but it wasn't so loud now. We could actually speak without having to shout to be heard. Of course, that didn't mean we wouldn't be shouting. He asked me what that was supposed to mean. "The porn show really isn't to my liking." I still can't believe I actually said that. He looked confused for a minute before he realised I was talking about him. It only seemed to make him angrier.

He started accusing me of flirting with Leon. Of course, he only called him, that tattood freak. It makes me laugh now, but back then, it made me livid. I couldn't believe he was standing there attacking me when he was sitting in the corner feeling up another girl all night. I probably shouldn't have said what I did. Actually I know I shouldn't have. But I did anyway. "What's it to you? You're not my boyfriend Dom, you've got no claim on me. And you sure as hell ain't my brother."

I watched as his eyes flared. He was so mad. He just stared at me, his fists clenching by his side, unable to speak. I was actually scared for a minute. I'd gone too far. I'd given up control to anger and hurt him. But what he did next shocked the hell out of me. I had actually expected him to hit me. As ashamed as I am to admit that. Dom would never do that. But he was angry, and I really would have expected that over what he did.

Dom grabbed me around the waist, pulled me against his chest and kissed me. It wasn't soft and gentle. It was hard and passionate. And even a little rough. But it was exhilarating. I'd never felt like that before. Wherever his hands touched, I tingled. He pushed me, gently this time, up against the wall and attacked my neck with tongue and teeth. God it was the most amazing thing I had ever experienced. We ended up staying in the room for a good hour, glued to each other's mouths and bodys. Exploring and tasting. It was incredible. And when we finally pulled away from each other, breathless, all we could do was look at each other.

I remember him whispering something about how he had wanted to do that for so long. It made me blush. That I remember clearly. I'd never blushed before. And he called me on it. His hand rose to cup my cheek and he smiled at me. "You're blushing bella." He whispered and I couldn't meet his eyes. "Do you want me baby?" He'd asked. I probably should have laughed at the forward question, but my head was swimming. All I did was nod. "Then I'm yours." He'd whispered. It was kinda corny looking back. But it was amazing. That's when it all started for us.

----------

**_Dom's POV_**

------

I was such a shit to Letty back then. She was only 16 and I was such an ass. I know it. I don't even try to deny it. I used to treat her like a little kid. Stupid considering the decidedly unchildlike thoughts I was having about her. But it was a way to distance myself from her. I'd let her come to races with us, but I'd never let her leave my side, even when I was completely engrossed in the girl I had on my lap at the time. I knew it pissed her off. I didn't know why. But I knew it did. I wish I could say that I felt bad about it. But I didn't. I wanted her to have that reaction to it. I wanted to believe that she felt something for me. Of course, if I hadn't been such a chicken shit, I could have just come out and asked. I would have known immediately and I could have saved us both a lot of trouble. But live and learn. Thats my motto these days. After everything we've been through, its really fitting.

I lived and I learned what an ass I was being. I was hurting her. Intentionally. Yeah I know, an ass right? But you don't understand. I didn't mean to start the fights with her. And I didn't mean the shit I said to her. I'd just watch her. To every race she would dress in these impossibly tight leather pants or really hot skirts that showed off her legs with shirts that emphasised her cleavage, and she'd drive me insane. She was developing such an incredible body, and somehow she seemed oblivious to it. But I certainly wasn't. And neither were the other guys. I saw them watching her and it made me so angry. I was jealous, i'm aware of it. I was jealous that they could look at her, stare openly, and I had to sneak glances. Jealous that they had a shot with her and I had to pretend. I was an idiot.

So I reacted the only way I knew how. I would accuse her of trying to attract negative attention. But I wouldn't do it in the best way, and somehow always managed to end up insulting her. We'd fight and she'd storm off angrily. But that time we had the massive blow up after I said something beyond stupid was the first time I thought I could actually lose Letty.

I'd called her something really horrible and I'd made her feel cheap. It was stupid and uncalled for, but I'd done it. I felt so bad afterwards, as I watched her driving away. I tried to follow her, but by the time I got to her house, she'd locked herself in her room and Lucy and Eddie thought it'd be best if I let her cool down. I went back the next day, but she wouldn't see me. I tried calling, she wouldn't answer. I tried every day to talk to her. I was terrified. I'd lost Ma and Joey, but I always thought that i'd never lose Letty. But my actions, being an ass, may have meant she was gone to me. I kept trying though. I couldn't bear the thought of letting her go. So I kept going back. Eventually she let me in. I'd sat in the hallway, outside her door, for over an hour trying to get her to listen to me before she gave in.

We sat on the bed and I apologised. Ok, I grovelled. I was sorry. I didn't mean it. And she forgave me. I was so happy. I couldn't have her in the way I wanted, but I couldn't lose her at all. That was the first big fight we'd ever had. But they'd get bigger. The next one, was pretty good. It was the first one we'd had that ended in us making out. But it certainly wasn't the last. They're our trademark now. Fiery, passionate arguments finished with fiery, passionate 'making up'.

I cant even tell you why then, of all times, I chose to kiss her. All I know was I was standing there, watching her looking at me with what looked almost like fear in her eyes, and all I could think about were her lips. That and how hot she looked all flushed and angry. I know she yelled something harsh at me. But I don't remember what. She does. She's still ashamed at what she said. But she doesn't need be. Cause whatever it was, it got my ass into gear. I kissed her and I didn't stop. It was so amazing. She kissed me back. I think I ended up saying something really corny to her, but I don't care, cause it worked. We started being an 'Us' that night.

TBC...


	6. Chapter 5

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances invloved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

* * *

**_Chapter 5_**

**_Letty's POV_**

--------

I wish I could say that the transition from friendship to romance was easy for Dom and I, but I can't. At least, not in the beginning. The morning after we made out at the party was strange to say the least. We didn't quite no how to act around each other. Whether or not to be affectionate, more so than usual anyway. I didn't know if he was my boyfriend. I didn't even know if he was going to have a girl on his arm when I got home from school that afternoon. It made for an interesting day. I didn't pay attention to anything at school. Mia thought I was getting sick. I remember her fussing all over me, trying to feel my forehead for a temprature. Born doctor. But it was Joey and Maria's deaths that really made her decide she wanted to be a doctor. She wanted to be able to heal other people's loved ones, since she had no control over her own. It was her way of dealing and everyone was just fine with it.

Dom and I needed to talk. We both knew it. But talking had never been something we'd been good at. As long as we'd known and loved each other in some way, we'd never been ones for talking. And then, whenever we tried, it always turned into a fight. I remember feeling really anxious walking up the steps to the front door of his house, that afternoon. I was nervous. Really, truly nervous, for the first time in a really long time. I took a deep breath before entering the house. Dom was sitting on the sofa in the living room, waiting. For me I guess. I asked him where Tony and Mia were, he never did answer me. He just patted the space beside him, in a silent gesture. I sat down beside him, dropping my bag by the front door. I wanted to be able to bolt if things got too weird, too intense.

He looked at me and smiled so softly. I'd never seen him smile like that. It made me wonder if he smiled at his girls like that. I had to shake myself out of that thought. Thoughts like that don't do anyone any good.

"Lett. I want to be with you... Do you want to be with me?" He asked and sounded so nervous. As nervous as I felt. It was off putting. Dom didn't get nervous, or scared. But it did make me feel better. That being nervous was ok. Cause this was sure as hell something to be nervous about. I remember I didn't answer him. I couldn't. I just nodded my head. The next thing I know we're making out on the sofa. I don't know how we went from smiling at each other shyly, to me lying beneath Dom with his hand up my shirt, but I wasn't complaining. I do however, remember fumbling to fix my top as we heard Tony coming up the front steps. We managed to straighten ourselves and flick the TV on just in time.

I think Tony knew something was up though. He looked at us oddly. I guess the fact that we had the entire length of the sofa between us was pretty strange in itself. We usually sat close together, more often than not, with my head on Dom's shoulder. He looked between the two of us and smiled a sort of knowing smile and went out to the garage without saying a word. I guess that was the perfect moment to say that we'd decided to be a couple, but we didn't. We stayed silent. In fact we snuck around. For months we hid our relationship. It was a thrill. Dom would come over or I would go to his, and we'd go up to our rooms. We'd make out for a while until we heard someone coming and quickly right ourselves. If it wasn't at my house or Dom's, it was in his car. It was so exciting. Like racing, only hotter.

But it couldn't last forever. We knew that eventually we'd get caught, or we'd have to fess up. Well, we were saved the confession. But we had the utterly humiliating experience of having not one, not two, but all three of our parents walking in, along with Mia. You see, they'd all taken Mia to some college thing. I don't know why she'd gone, she was only 15, but I wasn't about to argue. It meant Dom and I had the house to each other for a few hours. We'd been at his place, on the sofa, making out pretty intensely when they all came home. I guess we were too wrapped up in each other to hear the car pull up. Oh god, I wish i'd heard the call pull up. Dom had no shirt on, and neither did I. The only thing I was thankful for, was that I still had my bra on. What little it did for me with one cup pulled down.

It was actually a good thing they came home when they did. We were getting a little intense. And I hated lying to my Mama and Papi. I wanted to tell them that we were together and that I was happy with him. That Mama and Maria might get their wish afterall. I wanted to be able to do stupid little things with Dom. Little things that I never thought would be important to me. Like hold his hand. Walk with his arm around me. But most of all, I wanted the girls that always hung around him to go away. He was mine. I knew that there wasn't anything going on with them. But I hated having to stand by and watch them drape themselves all over him. I think that's a big part of why I still hate it. He was my man, they had no right to put their hands on him. And people can accuse me of being terratorial, even back then, all they want. I won't deny it.

I expected my Papi to flip when he saw us together. Dom and I scrambled to put our shirts back on and right ourselves but it was too little too late. They'd seen everything. Including the hickeys that littered my neck. I guess we really did get a little carried away. We stood up and looked at our parents. I can't imagine how stupid we must have looked. Our backs straight, hands by our sides and terrified expressions on our faces. My Papi walked towards Dom and got real close to him. I watched out of the corner of my eye, scared for Dom's safety. My father had never been a small man. He stood at 6 foot 3 inches tall and had big broad shoulders. Kinda reminded me of Dom like that. They were very similar builds. He looked down at Dom, and I saw Dom flinch as he tried to stay strong.

"Eddie. I'm sorry you found out this way. But it's not as bad as might seem. I mean, I swear I'm not using her. It's not like that. We haven't.. I mean, we... That's to say.. Well, I love her." Dom was babbling and I was staring. I couldn't believe he just told my father that he loved me. He'd never told me that he loved me. It was an odd way to hear it. I remember hearing my Mama gasp, and my father's stern expression faultered for a moment as silence fell in the suddenly tiny room. Then the oddest thing. My father started laughing. Full hysterical laughter. Dom looked at him like he'd gone stark raving mad. Then Tony joined in and it didn't take long til Mama and Mia were laughing too. Dom and I stood side by side, looking at each other confused.

"Oh honey. You should have seen your faces." My mama laughed. They were laughing at us.

---------

**_Dom's POV_**

----

I really could have done without my Dad, my little sister and the Ramieraz's walking in on me and my girl getting hot and heavy. Take away the incredible amount of embarrassment that came with being found half naked and practically dry humping each other. If they hadn't walked in, there was a good chance, I would have gotten laid. Not very chivalrous, I know, shoot me. I'm a guy alright, and Letty and I had been together for about 6 weeks. Which meant, I'd been without for about 6 weeks. I was horny. I was getting my freak on and there's nothing like the parentals interrupting to deflate your... buzz.

Worse was, Eddie's a big guy, and I wasn't so big back then. Yeah, I was tall, and I had some pretty impressive shoulders, but I didn't put on all the muscle until later. So standing there, with him in my face, literally, meant I was a little on edge. I mean, in his eyes, I was basically molesting his daughter. Would you take the answer "I'm sorry sir, but I just couldn't keep my hands off your daughter's hot body" as an excuse? No. You wouldn't. You'd flatten me. I know this, cause I'd do the same, faced with the same situation. So I may have babbled a little, and I may have inadvertantly said that I loved Letty. But I was in a very dangerous situation and I couldn't be held responsible for my actions.

Of course, I really didn't expect his reaction to be quite so... benign . He actually started laughing in my face. That's right. Laughing. In my face. Apparently Let and I were sporting some pretty hilarious facial expressions. Once they all stopped laughing they seemed to be ok with the idea of Letty and I as a couple.

"Oh honey. I just want you two to be happy." Lucy had said as she cupped my face and kissed my forehead, before doing the same to Let. "And if you're happy together. Then we are definately happy for you." Lucy is an incredible woman. I guess that's where Letty gets it from. She was so good to us. Mia and I. After Ma died and everything else. She never made us feel unwelcome in her home. In fact, she made us feel like it was our home. And it was. We were her family and she was ours.

I remember my Pops and Eddie coming over to me when Mia and Lucy had hijacked Let to find out all the details on how we got together... she swore she didn't tell them everything. They sat me down on the couch and it was reminiscent of some gangsta movie. They sat on either side of me and I swear I was expecting some violin music to start or something easily as tacky.

"Dominic. I love you son. And I love Letitia. And I want you two to be happy." One loook at my Popstold me he was serious and all jokes of gangstas left my mind.

"Yeah son. You know I think of you as my own. But Letitia's my little girl. My baby. You hurt her. I'll kill you. And I say that with love in my heart." Eddie smiled after he threatened me. It's quite an uneasy feeling having someone like Eddie threaten you with a smile.

"Dominic. Letitia's like Mia bud. Treat her like you'd expect someone to treat Mia." Pops was deadly serious. There was definately no smile on his face. I nodded slowly. I got it. I really did. But I couldn't tell them that they didn't understand. That I loved her. I really did. I'd already fallen, so hard, for her. I kept my mouth shut and allowed them to have their overprotective father moment. It was sweet really. That they both looked at her as if she were theirs. I mean, she was, just not by blood. Besides, I think it would have freaked them out to know just how much I loved her. She was only 16 after all.

The deep moment was interrupted by Lucy. Oh god, I was so thankful to her for that. I don't think I could have continued sitting there much longer. She came in and told Eddie it was time to go home, dinner had to be cooked and told Pops what time we should come over. I guess we were having dinner over at theirs that night. Letty, Eddie and Lucy were walking towards the door when Lucy stopped and called out to me. I turned and looked at her, waiting for her to continue. She smiled and I knew whatever she was going to say was not going to be good for my ego.

"Dom baby. I really am happy about this. And you are still welcome to come visit whenever you want, just as normal. But from now on, the bedroom door stays open. I love you honey, but I don't need any grandbabies running around just yet. Ok, sweetheart?" She smiled brightly and tugged Eddie and Letty out the door. I heard Let yell "Mama" really idignantly before their footsteps disappeared.

Surprisingly enough, life got easier after that. Let and I were good. Really good. We could sit on the sofa snuggling, even though i'll never admit that's what we did, it doesn't exactly scream masculinity. Or we could hold hands, walk with our arms around each other. I know it bugged her before, not being able to do the simple things like that, even if she'd never admit it. And I know one thing that really made her happy. We could be affectionate at the races. She could tell all the racer skanks to back off and be as terratorial as she wanted. And I gotta admit... I liked it.

TBC...


	7. Chapter 6

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances invloved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

* * *

**_Chapter 6_**

**_Letty's POV_**

--------

When Dom and I started our 'thing' I was only sixteen, and it turned into a serious relationship pretty damn fast. He was 19 and he had already done so much. But we were doing our best to get me caught up. We were always careful though, not to go that one step further. I don't know how much of it was me and how much of it was Dom, but somehow we both just knew it wasn't right, at least not yet. So we did just about everything but that. And we enjoyed every minute of it. Did I mention that Dom has an incredible body? Even back then, before he beefed up, he was gorgeous. He always had definition. It came from working on cars all day long, lifting bottles of Nos and everything else that came along with it. Sometimes I'd catch myself just looking at him. I would have been embarassed but he was always looking at me too. We've always been completely hot for each other. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

I guess that's why it was so good. I know that it's not always. I'm a girl, I talk to Mia. I know my first time and hers were two very different experiences. Dom and I didn't sleep together until I was 17 but by the time we did, we knew each other's bodies so well it was explosive. We never fumbled and amazingly there weren't even any nerves. It was right. That's what we'd been waiting for. The right time. When it was perfect and we were both ready. And we got it.

It was about a week after my 17th birthday. It wasn't all roses and silk sheets. I don't go in for that shit. I mean, I am like any normal girl and I like romantic gestures. Just not the kind of crap that everyone expects. A romantic gesture is anything that shows that you care and you think of the person you love. With Dom, I get that all the time. Little things, that to everyone else would never seem romantic, but to me, they're poetry. It could be something as simple as taking my hand at a race. Or go as deep as slipping a photo of Joey and me onto his bedside table. Sometimes as sensual as an impromptu massage after a long day at school and the garage. They don't seem like much but they're everything.

That's how it started. It was a friday. I'd had a really long week at school and a long afternoon at the garage. I was sore all over. Every muscle. He took me upstairs to his room, while Mia was at my house and Tony was still at the garage, and lay me down on the bed. He took off my shirt and turned me over onto my stomach. He released the clasp on my bra and gave me the most amazing massage. He had me buzzing. I felt so good. I rolled over, onto my back, when he was done and kissed him. It only started out as a regular make out session. Well as regular as we get, we never do anything without a butt load of passion. But as clothes began to be removed, we both realised this was more. It was as slow as we both were capable of making it and it was amazing. The things Dom made me feel, lit me on fire. It was perfect.

We revelled in each other for weeks after. We were the only people that existed when we were together. The world just disappeared. Just like every corny movie ever said. But it was like that for us. It was like we realised how deeply we loved each other. And nothing could break in and burst our bubble. At least we didn't think anything could.

It wasn't until after Dom turned 20 that everything went to shit, again. Tony had been racing more over the last couple of months. Had even taken the charger for a spin around the track. But he hadn't been driving it that day. The day of the accident. I wasn't there, and I've never been so thankful that I missed a race. I heard all the gory details in court, but it couldn't compare to witnessing it. I know that for certain. I don't know how Dom lives every day with the memories. Not just of his dad, as horrific as they were, but with Joey on top of it. It amazes me, the strength he has, sometimes.

This guy, Linder, clipped Tony's car and ran him into the wall. That day we lost Tony forever.

Mia broke down. We didn't expect anything less. She'd been through so much and she was only 16. Mama, Papi and I basically moved into the house. Dom and Mia needed us, so that's where we were going to be. Mama and Papi didn't even say anything when I spent every night in Dom's room. Mama went as far as to close the door as she walked past one night. They knew nothing was going on. Dom was distraught. Every night I spent with him I held him. He never cried, but his grip on me was tight and he never let it up. Mama spent every night holding Mia and Papi, he took on the responsibilities of the funeral arrangements and everything that went along with a death. He came in a few nights and tried to talk to Dom. But Dom just sat there, on the bed, staring off into space. He'd listen, we knew that much, but he wouldn't respond. I was terrified.

On the day of the funeral Dom got up, showered and dressed in a suit he hadn't worn since Maria passed. He went down stairs, sat on the sofa and waited til it was time to go. He took my hand as we all drove together and didn't let go all day. Mama spent all day by Mia's side, providing any comfort she could and Papi, strong as ever, took responsibility for everyone and everything. I didn't know what to do. I stayed by Dom's side, holding his hand, it was all I could do. Nothing was going to make this better, but time.

The funeral acted as a sort of wake up call for Dom. The depressed haze he'd been in was shattered by the reality of the situation and he came out of it. He tried, for the first time since the accident, to comfort Mia that night. He held her, and I overheard him say to her that everything was going to be ok, cause she still had him and he still had her. As selfish as I know it is, watching them made me miss Joey. I walked away and let them be. They needed that time together. No one else could understand how they were feeling but each other, not even me, Mama and Papi.

It was only a couple of weeks later that Dom saw Linder. I don't even know where they were or why. I just know that Dom saw him and there was a wrench. He'd picked it up and he hit him, he didn't stop hitting him. Dom almost killed a man. You'd think knowing that, would make me look at him differently, think of him differently, it doesn't. No matter what he did that day, he was still Dom. Grief can make people do some pretty shocking things, this i'd learned over the years. Whatever it made you _do_, it didn't make _you_.

I remember the night I found out what Dom had done. It was late and Mama came into my room. She told me to get dressed and come downstairs immediately. As she left the room I could hear Mia crying downstairs. I don't think I've ever dressed so quickly in my life. We got in the car and were heading towards the police station before anyone told me anything. Papi said Dom had been arrested. That was it. I didn't get anything else till we got to the station.

When we went inside I looked around but I couldn't see Dom anywhere. Papi went up to the desk and asked for him. It was all so surreal. They lead us down a long corridor and stopped outside a room. For some reason I spotted the bench that sat alongside the wall outside. The cop opened the door and I saw Dom sitting slumped over the desk. I went to go inside immediately but Mama's hand stopped me. She told me to wait a minute and the next thing the door was closed. She was in there for a while, as Papi and I sat outside the door with Mia. Papi was hugging her, trying to comfort her. It was all so much for her. I really don't know how she got through it all.

When the door opened, I was on my feet in an instant. I looked past Mama into the room and saw Dom looking at me. That was when I noticed the handcuffs. Mama pushed me into the room and the door was closed behind me. I rushed towards him and kissed him furiously.

"What happened?" I asked but he just shook his head at me. A lone tear slipped from his eye, and trailed down his cheek. I wiped it away and looked into his eyes. He looked so small. So frightened. So young.

"I'm so sorry bella. I'm so sorry." He whispered. I shook my head at him. He'd never had anything to be sorry for. I didn't blame him for anything, even at the time when I didn't know that there could have been a reason, and after when I knew, I still didn't.

I remember him whispering that he loved me, over and over again. And I remember that I must have been crying, cause I felt the warmth of his hand on my cheek, and the moisture he wiped away so gently. I choked out that I loved him. But it didn't seem enough. The next time I would see him, would be through thick glass. He and Papi had made a deal with the DA. 5 years with the possiblity for parole after 2. It was a good deal. He would have been convicted of a lot more had it gone to trial. I guess the DA took pity on him. Life had never been easy for Dominic Toretto, and the next two years would be hell.

TBC...


	8. Chapter 7

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances invloved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

* * *

**_Chapter 7_**

_**Dom's POV**_

--------

When Letty and I started getting hot and heavy, she was only sixteen. I would like to say I was the model of self control and restraint around her, but I wasn't. Everytime we were together all I wanted to do was rip her clothes off and do things to her that would have Eddie out for my blood. Somehow I managed to control myself. And if I'm being brutally honest, it was always the look on her face when we were getting too close to the line. She was so innocent, I couldn't do it. I would never ask Letty to do something she didn't want to do. She wasn't ready, so I backed off. Everytime I backed off. Don't get me wrong. We did stuff, we did great stuff. But we always held back from that one huge step that would have taken that innocense from her eyes.

But when we did get it together... good god. It was incredible. I was no innocent school boy, but I'd never experienced anything like that. Romantics would say it was the kind of pleasure you could only experience with someone you loved, and usually I'd call those people pansies. But in this case, in our case, I'd agree. It's the only explanation. The fact that I love her so much, want her so much, makes it a thousand times better. That's always been something between us. We've always been completely hot for each other. Passion is something that is a part of us, not something we experience. And it's incredible.

I love that she didn't want champagne, roses and candlelight. It was just me and her, in my bedroom when everyone else was out. And to her it was perfect. It was with her, that was all I needed to make it perfect. As corny, and as movie of the week, as that sounds. It's Letty. It's different with her. I would have given her anything she wanted. But all she wanted was me, and that was the hottest thing I'd ever experienced.

We were like rabbits after that first time. Whenever we could we were all over each other. It was incredible. We spent months like that. She was wild and everything I could have ever hoped. But our euphoria couldn't last forever. Nothing in life ever does. But ours was shattered.

My Pops was racing and this guy Linder, clipped his car. It sent him into the wall at 120. I watched as my father burned to death. I remember him screaming, but they say he never did, they say it was me who was screaming. To this day, I close my eyes and see the flames.

I don't remember much between the accident and the funeral. I remember Letty being there. She was so strong. I know she sat with me, day and night. I know that Lucy took care of Mia, and I know that Eddie took care of everything. But I don't remember it. I was pretty bad for a while there. But Pop's funeral snapped back to reality. I became the big brother I should have been for Mia. And I tried to be there for Letty too. But she refused to grieve. I heard later that she did after I went away. But she wouldn't in front of me. She said that I needed strength then and she would be mine for me. She's always been that way. Putting me before her. I needed her then and she was there without a second thought. I'm eternally grateful to her for that.

I saw Linder later. I had this wrench and I picked it up. I hit him, I didn't intend to keep hitting him but by the time I was done I could barely lift my arm. I don't even know if that's the complete truth. I can't sat for certain that I didn't mean to keep hitting him. I was in a daze. I was just doing. I wasn't thinking. I didn't even try to run. I just sat in the corner, the wrench still in my hand as the sirens came closer and closer.

I don't remember the ride to the police station. I don't remember them reading me my rights. The next thing I remember is sitting in the tiny interrogation room and Lucy walking in. Seeing her standing there, before she sat down, made me realise what was going on. She stopped, half way to sitting and stood. She moved the chair around to my side of the table and sat down beside me. She didn't say anything. I guess she was waiting for me to start.

"I'm so sorry Luce. I didn't mean." I couldn't finish the sentence. I found myself suddenly choked up looking into her face. She was beautiful, just like Letty, even like my Ma. She was shaking her head. Letty did the same thing later. She took my face in her hands and kissed my forehead gently.

"My darling boy. I know you didn't. And Eddie and I are going to do everything we can, ok? We are not going to leave you here alone. We will find a way. We love you sweetie, don't forget that." She was crying freely as she wrapped her arms around me. I buried my face against her neck and took the comfort she offered. She'd always been like a mother to me, and right then that was exactly what I needed. She squeezed me a little tighter before pulling away and kissed my forehead again. She raised her hand to my cheek and let it fall away gently as she walked to the door. I watched her every step and then I saw her.

Letty. My Letty. She was standing in the doorway looking at me. There was no judgement in her eyes. No fear of me. Just for me. And love. It was always in her eyes, lingering behind whatever was taking centre stage at the time. Sometimes when she looked at me, there was nothing but love. But in that moment, there was fear for me too. She was afraid for me. But never afraid of me. She came into the room and the door closed behind her. The sound seemed to drag her from her trance. She rushed me. Her lips found mine in a furious, passionate kiss. She put everything into it. Everything she had, and I took it. I always would. She asked me what happened, but I couldn't tell her. I couldn't tell her the monstrous thing I'd been capable of and see the disappointment in her eyes.

I told her the only thing I could. I told her I was sorry and that I loved her. She started crying. She knew what was happening. But neither of us said it. I wiped the tears of her soft cheek as I looked at her beautiful face. This was going to be the last time I could touch her for a long time. She told me she loved me. Her voice choked by tears. But it was the most beautiful thing I ever heard. That was our goodbye.

They gave me a chance to say goodbye to Mia too. Whoever they are, the cops, the DA. Whoever. Eddie was incredible. He hired a lawyer and they fought to get me off, but they couldn't. They knew they coudn't get the charges dropped, but they tried. Hard. Eventually they realised that it was useless and instead got me a deal. A really good one. If I'd ever seen the inside of a court room I would have gone away for most of my life. Instead I got 5 years with the possiblity of parole after 2. I took the deal and swore that I'd be out of there in two years. That they wouldn't hold me any longer than that. I had a family to get home to.

TBC...

Author's Note:  
I really want to thank everyone's who's reviewed so far. I really appreciate it. So, please, keep Reviewing! Thanks guys. More soon.


	9. Chapter 8

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances invloved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

* * *

**_Chapter 8_**

**_Letty's POV_**

--------

The two years Dom was at Lompoc were hard. To say the least. Life had to resume no matter how much my family and I wanted to bury our heads and wait. The garage had to be reopened, so did the store. There were bills that had to be paid, and Mia had to be cared for.

Mama and Papi really stepped up to the plate though. Mama had taken over the running of the Toretto's store after Maria died, and now without Tony and Dom, she'd also taken over the running of a second household. She'd tried to convince Mia to come live with us, and sometimes she did just that, but Mia didn't want to leave the one constant thing in her life by leaving her house. I didn't blame her, neither did Papi and Mama. So the weeks that Mia stayed in her house, Mama or Papi stayed with her, and the weeks she was with us, were like we were a real family. But there was always so much missing.

Vince was great. He'd started working at the garage full time, along with Dom, after they graduated, and with Dom away he worked twice as hard, but there was so much. We hired Leon, that guy from the party, after he came around looking for work one day. Turned out he's a really good mechanic. Dom wasn't too pleased when I told him, but he got over it. I helped out too, after school and on weekends, until I graduated 6 months after Dom went away, then I started full time. Papi worked so hard, he helped run the garage and the store, took care of the finances for both households all the while holding down his regular job. It was tough, but we did it, cause we'd do anything for each other. To the ends of the earth, and all that.

I missed him though. Everyday. We spoke on the phone whenever we could. We wrote every week and I went to see him a few times in the first year. I would have gone more, but Dom wouldn't let me. He didn't like me seeing him like that. Dom is a very proud man. He always has been. Being locked up was like cutting him down. He refused to let Mia see him like that. And although he never said it, never acted that way when I was there, I know he hated me coming to visit too. Not because he didn't want to see me. But because he didn't want me to see him. He wanted to spare me that. He wanted to stay the man, in my eyes, he'd always been. But he did. Nothing that happened changed that. It never has. But by the second year he was almost begging me not to come. So I didn't. I stayed away. I let him know without any confusion that I wasn't happy about it. But I respected his wishes and I stayed away.

God I missed him. With everything we'd been through Dom was always a constant, and he was the man I loved. I wanted him back. I wanted him back in the house, sitting on the sofa with his arms around me like we used to do. I'd get really depressed sometimes. When I hadn't spoken to him for over a week. Mama would come sit with me while I cried silently. I remember lying on my bed with my head in her lap, her hand stroking my hair as I cried. She would whisper 'I'm sorry baby' over and over again in spanish. It was comforting, but it wasn't Dom.

It was like I was grieving for him. Add to that, that I'd never actually grieved for Tony and I was a wreck for a while there. It was pretty bad. I couldn't go to school for days, didn't even go to the garage. I just stayed in bed, crying mostly, as tough as it is for me to admit that. Mama and Papi tried to comfort me. But I needed this. I had been so concerned for Dom and Mia that I hadn't let myself grieve the loss of my psuedo father. I had to mourn for him, and for Dom. I pulled myself together once I was all cried out and went back to work and school. Dom doesn't know about that time. Only that I did finally grieve for his father. I asked everyone not to tell him. He had enough to deal with. I couldn't imagine what he was going through, I wouldn't burden him further.

-----

**_Dom's POV_**

----

Two years I spent in that hell hole. Two years away from Mia. Away from Letty. Away from the closest thing I had to parents, Lucy and Eddie. It was rough. I won't lie about that. It was prison, of course it was rough. I was surrounded by men who did brutal things to innocent people. Men who didn't have the right to call themselves men. Not after what they had done. And I was one of them. Letty says I never was, regardless of what I'd done, that I could never have been one of them. It's one of the many reasons why I love her. But for those two years I was one of them. Nothing we say will change that. It was my cross to bear. As they say, I did the crime and I did the time. But I'll never go back there. I'll die first.

The only good thing about prison... going home. I remember the day it was time to go home. I called home when my parole hearing came up and it was granted. I spoke to Eddie. I asked him to tell Let and Mia and Luce that I was coming home. But not to tell them the exact date. To pick me up and stay quiet. I wanted to surprise them. I hadn't seen Mia in two years, Letty in one. I'd seen Lucy. Couldn't keep her away. She always said that they could take me away from her day to day life but they weren't taking her boy from her completely. It was nice. It was something I needed to hear.

I was on eggshells the week leading up to my parole. I didn't want to do anything to screw up. I stayed in my cell for most of it. If I went out in the yard I was terrified I'd get into a fight and have to stay. And there was no way I was letting that happen. I walked out of the gates and Eddie was standing by my car, waiting for me. I walked as cool and calm as could over to him and dropped the paper bag by his feet as he hugged me. We stood there for a while. It had been so long. My whole life this man had been like a father to me, he was the only father figure I had left and he was in front of me, after two years of being denied physical contact with anyone I loved. It wasn't tough guy material, it was more like I was 10 years old again, but I needed it.

He threw me the keys when we pulled apart and I smiled some goofy grin as I got in the drivers seat. I couldn't believe how much I'd missed driving. You know there's this thing with driving. Either you're a driver or you're not. If you are, you live one life time before you start driving and then another one after. I'd missed it.

The drive home Eddie had filled me in on everything that had happened while I was locked up. He told me about Letty's graduation. We laughed at a story about her trying to refuse to go. Saying it didn't mean anything, it was just another day. That was Letty though, she was so modest, she didn't like the attention. Lucy had threatened her with something completely stupid, like sending me a photo of her naked in the bath tub when she was 2 and she gave in. I remember the photo from graduation, Lucy had sent it to me, Let looked beautiful. I wish I had been there. Lucy also sent me the photo of her in the bath tub. But I never did tell Let. It made me laugh. She was such a cute kid.

We pulled up at the house. I was amazed at how little it changed. I guess the sound of my engine pulling up was something they weren't used to over the past two years. Cause suddenly Letty was standing on the front porch with a confused look on her face. I remember I just sat in the car for a few minutes. She'd only been 17 when I went away. At 19 she was incredible. She was so beautiful. She had been before I left, she always was and she always will be. But seeing her standing there in her leather skirt and her black lace bra peeking through her transparent top, had my breath catching in my throat. She was gorgeous. Eddie got out the car and the confusion increased on her beautiful face. It knocked me back to reality. I opened the door and got out slowly. The look on her face is something I'll never forget.

Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. I'd changed a little myself. With nothing else to do but work out, I'd beefed up. But I know that wasn't the cause of the surprise on her face. Nor was the fact that I'd shaved my head. The shock disappeared and was replaced with the biggest smile I'd ever seen on her beautiful face. She screamed. My Letty actually screamed... somewhere other than the bedroom. She bolted down the front steps and the next thing I knew, her lips were on mine and her legs were wrapped around my hips. I held onto her as if my life depended on it. I'm man enough to admit it. I'll even admit that I got a little teary eyed holding her, kissing her. God I'd missed her.

We were so wrapped up in each other, kissing each other senseless, that we didn't hear Lucy and Mia clearing their throats. Loudly and dramatically. We were only brought out of our reverie when we heard Lucy yell "Hey! Don't make me get the hose you two!" incredibly loudly. We broke the kiss but we didn't let go of each other immediately. I mouthed 'I love you' to her and she returned it. I couldn't take my eyes off her face. Reluctantly I let her down and we pulled away from each other as Mia ran towards me. She threw her arms around my neck and hugged the dear life out of me.

"I missed you too chica." I whispered against her hair. She was crying and she was beautiful. She'd grown up so much in two years. She was 18 and graduating high school. It was amazing. At least I wouldn't miss that graduation ceremony.

When I managed to pry Mia out of my grasp, Lucy came over. She took my face in her hands, like she had so many times before, and kissed my forehead.

"I've missed you my darling boy." She whispered with tears in her eyes. We may not have been blood, and although I loved and missed my Ma, Lucy was my ma too. My eyes must have become watery, cause she pulled me down to her height and hugged my tightly. Her hand rubbed my bald head and I could feel her smile at the sensation. When we pulled apart we went inside. We all slept in the house that night. None of us could bear being apart from each other. I lay awake all night looking at Letty lying beside me. Trailing my eyes around my familiar room. I was home.

_TBC..._

_Please review! I love hearing your comments.  
__xx Ally_


	10. Chapter 9

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances invloved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

* * *

**_Chapter 9_**

**_Letty's POV_**

--------

The first night Dom was home from prison was one of the happiest and hardest of my life. I couldn't believe he was there. I'd missed him so much. I actually screamed when I saw him and just ran to him. I jumped into his arms, wrapping my legs around him. I swear I did something completely embarrassing. I mauled him in front of my parents. But I'd missed him so much and I was so happy to see him. It was great, sitting with him, being able to touch him and talk to him. But it became difficult later that night. Mama and Papi didn't say a word when we both went up to his room to bed, but out of respect we both said we wouldn't do anything until we were alone. My parents knew that and let us be. This is where it became difficult. Dom had always been incredibly good looking, with a beautiful body. But when he came back he was... hot. I'd never been more attracted to him in my life, and believe me, I didn't think it was possible to be more attracted to Dom than I already was.

We kissed, we hugged, we even touched. But we never crossed the line. It was killing me, but we didn't. It had been two whole years since he'd touched me, and my body screamed for him. But we managed, with great effort, to keep our hands to ourselves... mostly. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for Dom. But we were good. We got up in the morning and we went downstairs for breakfast. We made some lame excuse to get outta there, something about showing Dom how the garage had changed. The garage hadn't changed. We drove to a motel a few miles away. We actually paid to stay somewhere for the day and have sex. It sounds so ridiculous now. But back then, it was all we could do. We'd learned from experience that cars were good for quickies in the back seat, but we were going to need some room to move. Two years... It had been two whole years.

That day was incredible. To this day I can't stop smiling like a fool thinking about it. But that's ok, cause neither can Dom. When we emerged that afternoon and went home we got some interesting looks from my parents before they shook their heads at us and waved us away. We went into the living room and collapsed on the sofa to watch a movie with Mia. At some point during the movie I got up to get some drinks and heard my Mama and Papi talking in Spanish. They were in the kitchen and they had huge smiles on their faces. They were talking about how happy they were to have Dom home. It was stupid, I really should have known better than to open my mouth. I entered in on the conversation saying how happy I was that he was home too. Mama smiled at me, Papi didn't look pleased.

"We'd noticed chica." Mama had continued in Spanish. I blushed beet red just as Dom entered the room. He filled up the door way with his large frame now. He saw me blushing and looked at my parents. I blushed deeper as he looked between us.

"God he's huge." Papi had stated, still in his native tongue. I looked down to the floor. If I looked at Dom I was going to burst out laughing. He was completely expressionless as we continued talking around him.

"You going to be able to handle him now chica?" Mama drawled with a wink. Spanish in a drawl sounds interesting and Dom raised an eye brow at her. My blushing took on a whole new level.

"Oh for god's sake Mama. Dom can speak Spanish, remember? That's just wrong, Mama." I spoke in English. Mama didn't even flinch, she just smiled and nodded.

"I taught him, remember?" Mama asked sarcastically as Papi laughed. I couldn't believe it when I heard Dom chuckle. This was beyond embarrassing.

"I can't believe you said that Luce." Dom spoke, his Spanish perfect. Mama smiled at him and laughed. She stood up and walked past him out the room, swatting him on the backside as she left, Papi laughing as he followed her.

Dom walked over to me as I leaned against the counter. He came right up close to me and leaned against his hands, either side of me, on the counter. He was completey invading my space, his hips pressing against mine, and I was loving every minute of it. He leaned in and kissed me softly before chuckling.

"So... tell me bella. Are you?" He spoke in Spanish, and it sounded amazing coming from him. I knew what he was talking about immediately, I didn't need further explanation.

"I handled you just fine today, didn't I?" I drawled in English. We'd done this before. Had a conversation in two languages.

"Mmm... yes you did." He moaned. He actually moaned instead of speaking and I felt it all through my body. As we attacked each other's mouths Mia came in saying how disgusting we were and to cut it out. We laughed as we watched her go to the fridge and leave the room, but we never made any attempt to move from our position.

We were enjoying ourselves. Enjoying being with each other before life intruded once more. At least this time, it was without tragedy, this time it was just the everyday mundane. We had to go back to work. I gotta admit. I love working with Dom everyday. Being able to see him. To know his day and have him know mine. We started going to street races again too. Dom immediately took back his position. There was no discussion, or fighting, or big noting. Hector saw us drive up, saw Dom get out of the car, and immediately asked him how we were doing it that night. It was like Hector had just been filling in for him while Dom was gone. It was so cool watching him take charge of the crowd again. Seeing him in his element, and happy. The girls went straight for him as they always did, only now he was that much better looking and they were trying harder.

I walked up to them and with only a scowl and a raised eyebrow they backed away. Dom just smiled and pulled me to him, kissing me deeply in front of them all. It was his way of telling them to back off, that he was taken and he wasn't interested. And hell, I was just fine with his methods. I got a little more terratorial with him after Lompoc. Ok, a lot. But I'd lost him to that place for 2 years. I wasn't go to lose him again. Certainly not to some stupid skank bitch and a mistake I wouldn't be able to forgive him for. Now don't get me wrong. I've never actually feared that Dom would cheat on me. He loves me, I know that, and I'm finally secure in that. What I've never been secure in, is the fact that other girls knew that.

But they were never really our problem. We were the problem. Our own worst enemy. We had so much baggage in our lives. So much pain we'd both been through. We were naive to think that everything could go back to normal, back to the way things had been, when Dom got home. It wasn't going to happen. Of course, a part of me knew to expect changes in him. But I didn't think that I would see them so soon. I didn't think that it would happen right in front of me that first night at the races. The same night we met Jesse.

TBC...

Thanks for all the reviews. Please keep them coming. I'm a review addict. :) Feed my addiction? lol


	11. Chapter 10

AN: This story is by no means abandoned. Believe me. I've just got a very hectic life at the moment and some things have had to be put on the back burner. Writing is one of them unfortunately. But I hope to get more time to write and maybe get another chapter up by the end of Feb. Please stick with me. Thanks. xx Ally

**_Chapter 10_**

_Dom's POV_

--------

Life was great when I got out of Lompoc. I had my garage, my car and my girl. Everything was right again for the first time in a very long time. I don't think anyone was as surprised as I was when I even became great friends with Leon. It really was stupid how I'd come to hate him in the first place. He had a girlfriend, that night I'd seen him talking to Letty. They'd been talking about cars. But then, cars have always been able to get her hot. See that's another reason why I don't rag her about her possessiveness with me. Cause I'm just as bad, if not worse, than she is. I can't stand other guys looking at her. She's mine.

And I think that's exactly where we started to go horribly wrong. Lompoc changed me. As much as I hate to admit it, it did. I suppose that was bound to happen. You don't come out of those places the same person you went in. No one does. But I'd never really scared Let before. Before Lompoc she may have played fearing me, but she'd never for a second felt frightened by me. Yeah, I said before Lompoc. One night was all it took. One night where I acted deranged and scared the shit out of my girl, when I made her doubt me. The night we met Jesse.

He was just a scrawny little kid. I suppose he still his. But back then, he was barely 20 and he was just so obnoxious. It was my first night at the races since going away and he'd been hanging around, just in the crowd. But after we raced, and I won, he went up to Letty. I know because I saw him. You see, I never really take my eyes off of Letty when we're out like that. I don't trust the crew at the races for a second, I wouldn't put anything past those assholes. Now don't get me wrong. I know my girl can look after herself but I'm protective, I know it and I admit it.

Jesse had been watching us all night, the entire team – Letty, Mia, Vince, Leon and Myself. I was aware he was there and it really didn't surprise me when I saw him go up to Letty, I recognised the hero worship I saw in his eyes. But I was intrigued that he chose Let to approach. But sure enough, with his chest puffed out, lot of good it did him, he walked straight up to her and tapped her on the shoulder. She swung round and faced him. I couldn't hear what they were saying but I heard her laugh and I saw her hand touch his shoulder. I saw him smile, his hand touching my girl and then I saw red. He was pinned against the car with my hand around his throat before I knew what was happening.

Letty had her hand on my wrist trying to pull me back, trying to stop me. I was yelling but I don't remember what. I just remember feeling… well I remember feeling that this kid shouldn't have had his hands on my girl. And then I was coming back, I could feel Letty's skin against mine, her hair blowing against my shoulder in the breeze. Everything seemed heightened. Surreal. It wasn't really happening. It was a dream. But when I looked at her, everything became vivid again. There was fear in her eyes. She was afraid of me.

I let go of Jess and just looked at her. She took my hands and looked right back at me, the fear still in her eyes, it never faulted but she reached up and wrapped her arms around my neck and held me close. I could feel her shaking. I remember her shaking. And I remember running my hands up and down her back begging her not to be afraid of me, that I'd never hurt her. Ever!

Vince and Leon picked Jess up off the ground and we took him back to the fort to calm him down, to apologise. He told me that he'd never seen anyone so fast. I suppose that's what he'd said to Letty to make her laugh. But I think if it was, it was more likely the awe in his voice as he said it, made me laugh too. He seemed like a good kid and we soon learned that he was. Didn't hurt that he had a real knack for cars. It was like art for him. I still don't know what happened. And I wish I could say that it never happened again. But I can't. The guy pinned against the car changed but the fog never did. And the fear in Let's eyes was always there.

We've never said anything about that night since, but I know that everyone of us remembers it better than we'd care to. It was forgotten, and Jesse kept around like it never happened. I wish I could say that I had a perfectly logical and excusable reason for the way I acted, but I can't. I don't have one. Truth was, I was just as stunned by my behaviour as everyone else. And still am.

It was a hell of a way to initiate Jess in to our little family, and I wish it had been under different circumstances. But Jess became a permanent fixture in our lives, and a part of the team as we all tried to put our lives back together. We tried to go back to living as normally as we could with all the changes we'd been through. But none of the guys ever really looked at me the same way again. And Letty… well, I couldn't forget the fear. She got passed it, every time, but I could never forget.

On the surface we appeared to be functioning extremely well. Lucy ran the store with Mia. Vince, Letty, Leon and I ran the garage with help from Jesse. And Eddie was able to take a break. He'd really been doing so much for all of us. So much that I could never truly thank him enough for it. All while holding down his own job.

We even went back to Sunday barbeque lunches. It was normal and it was everything all of us wanted back in our lives, familiarity. It was peaceful and unassuming. That's probably why I didn't seen Johnny Tran coming.

We'd been at a race one Saturday night. It was only a matter of weeks after we'd met Jesse. I suppose I've always been a little too trusting. I know, not something you'd expect from me. But I am. I let people in when I probably shouldn't. I let Brian in, and although that turned out… ok, it wasn't the brightest of things to do. I've always known this about myself, but I never thought that it was dangerous; I never thought it was something to worry about.

But then I never thought that making one seemingly small business deal with Tran would lead to this. To what our lives have become.

I should have known that it wasn't as simple as it seemed. Should have known something was up when Tran approached me at all. Letty had looked at me warningly when Tran and I stepped aside to talk. She knew then that something was up. It was a year ago now. And I would do anything to take it back.

He came up to me after the race. We were having a party back at the fort. It was tradition now. He never came, but for some reason he was there that night. He came up to Let and I, standing in front of us, looking down at where we sat together. Actually, he'd interrupted us. Kinda creepy when you think that he didn't actually say anything. Just stood there, watching us kiss, waiting for us to notice his presence. When I looked up at him, he knew how much I really didn't appreciate his presence.

"Toretto. I got a proposal for you." He always sounded like he was trying to puff up his chest when he spoke. Trying to be tough. I probably shouldn't have picked that moment to be a smart ass, but I wasn't thinking too clearly. Letty was on my lap, thankfully actually, and I was so not in the mood for anything that didn't involve her mouth.

"You're not really my type Johnny, I'm flattered really." I said looking him up and down. Letty looked at me. She wasn't impressed. She knew the kind of crap a line like that was going to stir up. I really should have kept my mouth shut.

"Really? After your time in lockup I thought you'd be more interested in a guy than some little girl." There really wasn't any need for him to say that either though.

I gently lifted Letty up off my lap and stood from the chair. I felt her hand on my arm as I stared at Tran. And I heard her voice as she said my name with warning. And I heard the fear. Truth is, I was close to falling into the fog again. But her voice pulled me back. I still don't know how. But it did. That was the last time for a long time that I came that close to slipping into it. I don't know now, but maybe I shouldn't have listened to her and pulled myself together. Maybe I should have let it take over me. Maybe…

"Whatever brought you here, I suggest you make your case quick. We're not on your block." I tried to keep my voice level. I tried not to lose my temper. So I gave him a quick escape.

"A business deal that could profit us both greatly." He was such a cocky bastard, walking into my house like he owned the place. Of course, I was a cocky bastard back then too.

"What makes you think you've got something I could possibly be interested in?" I really shouldn't have let him get that far. I could have worked everything out. I should never have followed Tran outside. I never should have heard him out and I never should've taken his deal. But you know what they say about hindsight.. 20/20.

I heard him out. It actually seemed reasonable. It seemed like the answer I'd been looking for. I made the deal. Letty saw us shaking on it and asked what the hell was going on. I told her we were calling a truce. That we'd decided just to stay the hell away from each other. That was another mistake I made. I shouldn't have lied to Let. I should have told her everything that was going on. But I didn't. And I'd pay for it later.

TBC...


	12. Chapter 11

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances invloved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

Chapter 11

Letty's POV

--------

So Dom made a deal with Tran. That is pretty common knowledge now. And you know the common question? Why. That's what everyone is asking. Why. But you see, he had no choice. I know that. I didn't at the beginning. But I do now. And I don't blame him. He did what he had to. And so did I.

You see, that night Tran came to the house, I knew it only spelled trouble. But I didn't stop Dom and I probably should have at least tried. But I've learned you can't dwell on the 'should have's'. They'll bury you. Tran offered Dom a deal that night. One that, under normal circumstances Dom wouldn't have taken. But we weren't under normal circumstances.

You should probably know what the deal was. Tran offered to send business the garage's way. A whole lot of it. On top of that, he could get us a good deal on some custom parts. He swore up and down that it was legit. But nothing with Johnny Tran is. The deal doesn't seem so great when you look at it like that. But you need some background information. The reason Dom took the deal. We were in debt. A lot of it. And we were in trouble. Papi had done the best he could while Dom was away. But there had been so many bills after Tony's death. Ones that were still lingering from Maria's illness. There were mortgage payments for both houses. There was just too much. We all did everything we could but we weren't cutting it. Papi never told us and neither did Dom. We were sinking and Dom thought this was a way to get out.

He took the deal and everything was going great for a while there. We even got on top of the mortgage payments. The garage was so busy that the five of us were run off our feet. It was great and it was a lot of fun but none us knew what was happening. I don't think Dom even knew. If he had, we would have, when he tried to get us out of it.

It wasn't until the parts weren't delivered for a Honda we were working on that Dom found out something was up. He went into the office to make a call. Told us he was going to see what the delay was. It was the truth, he was calling Tran. That's when Dom found out. The parts were stolen. I know, of course they were. But that's just where it got better and better. The deal seemed way too good to be true, even with the stolen parts. Tran wasn't making anything out of it. That is until he dropped the bomb. He knew the one thing he could hold against Dom, and everything he'd done was to get to that point, where he could use his trump card. Dom wouldn't go back to prison. He'd die first.

Tran threatened to call the cops. Tell them that we were running stolen parts out of the garage. Dom would definitely go to jail. Everything was off the books. It looked beyond suspicious. Dom did the only thing he could. He asked Tran what he wanted. That's how we got into the heists. Tran wanted the trucks. He had the plan, but he needed the drivers. Where else would you go to get drivers, than Toretto's? Exactly. He'd sucked us in and we'd played right into his hands.

That's when I found out. Everyone thinks that Dom talked me in to it. They probably think it was really twisted and he'd done it in bed. It wasn't like that. He hadn't meant me to know. I'd come home from the garage one day. I don't know when I started thinking of Dom's as home, I still spent most nights at my house, but then, I did spend a lot there too. I came home and the guys were out back talking. They didn't spot me as I walked out. I heard them setting it up. I stood there stunned. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Dom was only a year out of prison and he was doing something that would land him right back in there.

He didn't even know I was there until I was standing right behind him and the guys were looking at me, dread all over their faces. He turned and looked up at me slowly. He tried to smile at me.

"Hey baby" He knew he was sprung. I looked at him shaking my head. I think there was even tears in my eyes. I was terrified and I couldn't believe what I'd heard.

"Don't even." I said and stormed away from him into the house. I went upstairs and I knew he was following me. I went to slam the bedroom door, our bedroom door, but I whirled around when I didn't hear it. He was standing there and he looked so... remorseful.

"Let. You gotta hear me." It was the wrong thing for him to say to me at that moment. My fear had made me angry. As it tends to do. We got into a huge fight. He ended up screaming the reason he was doing this at me. Why he had no choice. The argument came to an abrupt holt and for the first and only time, it wasn't because we'd lunged at each other, kissing the life out of each other. I sat down on the bed staring straight ahead as he explained everything to me. I was in shock I guess. I'd had no idea things were so bad. He finished telling me every detail and we just sat there. In silence. Dom picked up my hand and laced his fingers through mine.

"I'm coming with you." I didn't even realise I'd said it out loud at first. It was just the first thing that came into my mind. If Dom was doing this, if he was going to go down, I was going with him.

"You can't Bella." He was shaking his head. It wasn't what I wanted to hear. I stood abruptly and looked at him.

"You can't stop me." I screamed. He stood, preparing himself for another fight.

"I will not allow you to go." His jaw was tight as he spoke. A vein in his neck pulsing with the effort to restrain himself.

"You can't stop me. You think you're going to go out there and risk your life, our lives together, and I'm just going to sit here and do nothing? You've got another thing coming Toretto. I will not be left behind again. I love you too damn much." I remember screaming at him, then something a lot more familiar. His lips on mine.

TBC…

I know, I know, this took a lifetime to get up, and I'm really really sorry. Forgiven? I promise this fic is not dead, so please stick with it. And please review! Thanks. xx


	13. Chapter 12

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances involved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

**_Chapter 12_**

Dom's POV

--

Lett got so pissed when she found out about 'the plan'. I had obviously seen her pissed before, but this was something new. Fear was feeding her anger and that made her ten thousand times more frightening. And believe me, without it Lett is frightening enough, with it she was a force that I didn't really dare reckon with. But there's something about Letty you gotta understand. She hates it when I back down. She really does. No matter how angry she is, or upset she is, she never wants me to back away from a fight with her. She never wants me to give in and feed her some bullshit line like 'you're right honey, I'm sorry, I was wrong'. Hell no, not my girl. She wants me to fight with her until we can't fight anymore, which usually means that we're kissing feverishly. She told me once that if we didn't have enough love for each other to fight than what was the point? I don't really get the logic behind it, but the fighting, it's kinda hot, and the making up is fucking spectacular.

So it was out. She knew about everything. The deal, the stolen parts, the mortgages, everything. And damned if she ain't stubborn. I couldn't talk her out of coming on the heists with us, no matter how much I tried, and believe me I tried. I even used some pretty creative ways to try and trick her into staying behind. But nothing worked. She was coming with us. Come hell or high water. We fought about it constantly. Somehow it usually ended up being a fight about whether or not I loved her. A stupid question. It was because I loved her so much that I didn't want her to go. I didn't want her to get hurt. Or end up in jail. I wanted her safe and at home where I knew no one could get to her. But that didn't matter. Her view was that I didn't want her to go because I was being selfish. I wasn't thinking about how my actions would her hurt her. It was true, partially. I was worried about her, about her safety, but it never occurred to me how painful it would have been for her, if something had happened to me. And that's why there was always a lot of tension between us during that time.

We performed the first heist and it was easier than we thought, and one hell of a rush. The sex Letty and I had after, was mind blowing. But once we delivered the truck to Tran, the high wore off. It was always like that. There were these initial highs, which lead to earth moving sex, but it always ended in crushing defeat once the goods were delivered. We're not hardened criminals. We really aren't. We love cars, we love the speed, but that's it. We honestly just wanted to work on cars and race. We never wanted any of this, and I sure as hell didn't want any of this for my family. But that old saying came in to it. When you're stuck between a rock and a hard place, there really is no place to go but down.

It killed me; it really did, knowing that I was putting them in this situation. My failures were causing our inevitable downfall. I couldn't provide for them, I couldn't protect them. I'd failed. And now I was dragging them into a criminal life. I hated it, I hated myself. Subconsciously I tried to sabotage myself. I would allow the girls at the races to rally around me, I knew it pissed Letty off, I knew it hurt her, but I did it. I always thought she deserved better, and I thought I was doing her a favour by giving her a reason to cut and run. But my girl is hell smart, and she saw right through that. She never backed down from a fight, not my feisty senorita, and she wasn't going to let me push her away.

We never talked about it though, Letty would just threaten the girls and they'd back away. I never actually had any interest in any of them, I just... I don't know... I thought I was helping her. I know now that I wasn't. I was making things worse. But you know what they say about hindsight?

There were a lot of things we never talked about during that year. We never discussed the heists, except to plan them, we never discussed my increasingly foul mood, or that of the others, and we sure as shit never discussed the fact that I was dying on the inside. I had to be tough. I had to be strong, no matter what; I had to be the man that I had failed to be for them in the past. They could never know how hard it was for me. They could never know how badly I wanted to cut our losses, say to hell with Tran and find some other way to pay off the mortgage. I had to be strong.

You gotta understand. None of them were to blame. Not Vince, not Leon, not Letty, not Jesse, not even Tran. It was all my fault. If I hadn't lost control that day with Linder, we never would have been put in this position in the first place. I never would have gone to Lompoc and Eddie wouldn't have been left to look after the family alone. It was my responsibility to look after them. To work the garage and pay the mortgage, and I'd failed at it. I'd failed to look after my family and it was my fault that they were now criminals. I'd done this to them. Me. All because I wasn't strong enough.

It made me angry, and bitter, and determined not to fail again. We would finish these heists to get Tran and the bank and everyone off our backs and everything could go back to normal. How stupid is that? I was such a dumbass to believe that everything could go back to normal after all of this. But I honestly thought it could. That if we just got through each heist, and got everyone paid back, got all the shit off our backs, it would all be ok. Never mind that I was alienating my family. Mia was pissed at me. Letty was pissed at me. Vince would follow me to hell and back, but I know he still doubted what we were doing. And Leon and Jesse, they were loyal almost to a fault. They would always do whatever I said, no matter how wrong it felt to them. I thrived on it, on their loyalty and their trust; I started to believe I deserved it. That my word was gospel. I was an ass. There's no excuse for my actions or my attitude. I was a dick.

And I suppose that was the reason I let Brian into our lives. I thought he was a good guy, and I suppose he turned out to be an alright guy, despite everything. But I welcomed him into our lives, into our home, and into our world. I didn't listen to Vince, or Leon, or Jesse when they told me he was dangerous. I didn't even listen to Letty when she told me she wasn't sure about him. That there was something off about him. Something didn't fit. I should have trusted her. I should have trusted her for no other reason but she was my woman and she told me that something was wrong. And I should have trusted her because it was Letty and Letty had amazing instincts about people. She knew better, and I should have known better. I didn't listen and we came so close to losing it all because I was stubborn. Because I had started to believe the hype about my self. I thought I was 'the great' Dominic Toretto. I was a fool.

_TBC…_

_Ok, firstly I have to say how unbelievably sorry I am that I haven't updated this fic in so long. But I promise, I swear, that I haven't abandoned it. I haven't forgotten about it. I'm trying to finish it. In fact I'm trying to finish all three open fics I have. So please, be patient and stick with me. There will be an end to this fic. There will be an update soon. Through Another's Eyes has not died! Please review and let me know that people are still reading! Thanks._


	14. Chapter 13

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances involved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

**_Chapter 13_**

Letty's POV

--

The day that Brian entered our lives Dom and I were fighting. Sure Brian had been coming to the store pretty regularly before that day. The day that he and Vince got into it. But we'd never acknowledged him. As far as we were concerned he was just some pretty boy loser with a crush on Mia. Up until that point. Anyways, Dom and I had fought the night before, and I'd spent the night at Mama and Papi's. It was becoming more and more rare that I slept in my old room. But every now and then I still stayed there. Usually when Dom and I had a fight. We hadn't spoken to each other all day. It was a slow day at the garage so he'd gone to do the books at the store, help out a little and give Mama the day off. So when I went to the garage that morning he wasn't there. We'd started to fight a lot more. He didn't want me going on the heists and I didn't want him doing them in the first place. I understood that it didn't seem like we had any other choice. But I still hated him for it. I'm ashamed to admit it, but it's true. During that time in our lives I hated Dom.

But lucky for Brian, Dom still listened to me every now and then. I still remember that day so clearly. I think I'll remember it til the day I die. It all changed that day and it all could have gone so much worse than it had. We'd walked into the store, and Mia was behind the counter like normal, but Brian was sitting at the counter with his lunch and apparently Vince had had enough of him hanging around. Dom wasn't talking to me, obviously still pissed over our fight the night before. I tried to make up with him, it was a stupid little gesture, but asking him if he wanted a drink was my way of saying 'are we cool baby'. He was cold, and I wish I could say that it was rare behaviour from Dom, but it wasn't. He'd been like that a lot since he got out of Lompoc, especially since the deal with Tran. We'd all kind of accepted it as just how things were. We shouldn't have.

So Vince and Brian got into it, and Mia is screaming at Dom to stop the fight, and he's making smart ass cracks. He was acting so strange. It wasn't just about Vince or Brian getting their asses kicked. What if someone called the cops? Dom usually thought of stuff like that, but not that day. I called to him, it seemed to make things click as he looked at me and he took off. And just like always, we followed where he led.

That was the day that changed everything. We went to the races that night with nothing resolved between Dom and I. As always we took separate cars and followed Dom there. And like always the girls flocked to him as soon as he got out of his car. I've admitted freely that I'm territorial when it comes to Dom, but when we've been fighting its ten times worse. I wasn't having the girls around him. And it only served to make me even more pissed at him. Brian was at the race that night. He took on Dom. He wouldn't have come closer to actually beating Dom if he'd known what the hell he was doing. But the buster had no idea. He didn't know his car, and he didn't have the first idea about nos. I had no respect for him already, but after that race I had less than none. I didn't want anything to do with him.

Have I mentioned that Dom gets affectionate after he wins? Especially when he sees me stuffing around with the guys. He hates that. I use it sometimes, I admit that. But it's always completely innocent. I've never wanted anyone but Dom. Vince, Leon and Jesse are like brothers to me. I like being able to stuff around with them like I used to with Joey. But then, Dom always used to get very possessive even back then.

The cops raided the race after that. It wasn't rare that we all ended up burning rubber the hell out of there. But there were still nights when everyone disbanded without the threat of arrest. We split up as usual and headed back to the house in different directions. Dom had a place he liked to park the car and walk back, or he'd get a ride from Hector's crew. We had no reason to be worried about him when it took him a little longer to get back than the rest of us. But as soon as he walked in the room his face said it all. He was pissed and he had the buster with him. Something had obviously gone down. He stormed in yelling at Vince, his whole body screaming hostility. I watched him sitting there, he rubbed his head, a tell tale sign that he was tired and stressed and pissed off. Sometimes when I look at Dom he looks so much like the scared boy who lost his best friend and his ma and I lose the ability to stay pissed at him. All I want to do is take his hands and join them around my back as I wrap my arms around him. When I looked at him that night, I saw it again. I was sick of the fighting, I just wanted to hold him, be held by him. It's such a girly thing, but sometimes, I just want to be girly for him and with him.

The guys were being their usual asshole selves and I had to tell them to shut the fuck up. They loved screwing with my head as much as Dom did. Only they loved to impress him more. I took Dom's hand and told him to take me upstairs and give me a massage. If he'd been looking at me properly he would have seen that I was trying to tell him that the fight was over and I wanted to be alone with him. Of course, after the second time I said it, he caught on. Men, sometimes they can be a little slow on the intake.

As soon as the bedroom door closed behind us, Dom was standing right up close behind me. I smiled as I felt his fingers dancing on my hips. In a move that still amazes me; he had my shirt pulled over my head and across the room before I could even blink. His hands snaked around my waist and pulled me back against him.

"Mmm, not yet." I moaned at the feel of his lips on my neck. I needed to talk to him first though. I turned in his arms and took his face in my hands. "I love you, you know that right?"

"Yeah baby. I know." He rested his forehead against mine. It was our way of apologising. Neither of us was very good with words. But we could always use our bodies to communicate. And we didn't have to be naked either. We fell asleep that night in each others arms, the fight forgotten, for the moment. And in the morning we went to work at the garage. The day that Brian brought in this piece of shit car with an amazing engine. It became our project and it was fun working on a car like that, all of us together. But I always knew there was something up with Brian. That there was something we were missing. A little piece of the puzzle that needed to be placed before I could make up my mind about him. I would eventually find out just what that piece was.

TBC…

Please Review!! Let me know there are people out there still reading my humble little fic.


	15. Chapter 14

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances involved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

**_Chapter 14_**

Dom's POV

--

In one night our whole lives changed. Of course at the time we didn't realise it. But by opening up our home to Brian that night, I opened a whole new can of worms. I brought him into our house and our lives, and it could have ended very badly.

Letty had told me the next day, just before he dropped off that junk car at the garage that she had a weird feeling about him. That he wasn't who he appeared to be. We'd done a check on him, of course, we had a lot to protect and a lot to lose by trusting the wrong people, and he'd checked out. But we couldn't have known at the time. I wish I had listened to her then. I wish I had listened to her earlier too, but you can't wish things away, and it's pointless now. But she was right. He was hiding something alright.

We fought a lot while we knew him. The more time he spent with us the wearier of him Letty became. We had a fight one night about the heists and everything, the night he went out with Mia. I wasn't happy about their date, so I was pissed off to start with, but while we were planning the latest heist Letty stormed off and all it did was piss me off further. I knew she didn't like what we were doing, hell none of us did, but sometimes you just gotta do shit for your family, to protect them. So I took off after her into the house. I caught up with her in the living room and we got into it. She told me that we shouldn't be doing it now. That it felt wrong doing this while someone new was entering our lives.

"What if he catches us Dom. We don't know that boy for shit, just like Vince said. He could turn us in or god knows what. You're putting your family in danger trusting him." She was just saying what I already knew but I didn't want to hear it. I was so confused and had so much pressure on me that it just pissed me off. I didn't want to face the truth. I just wanted to trust that something good could come into our lives while something horrible was happening. Like it was karma or something. I wanted to believe that Brian could and would be the next Leon, or Jesse. We needed a win and I was riding all of it on him.

"Well, if you're so damn worried Leticia you can just stay home. Cook some dinner or something." Now that pissed her off. I've always known how to piss my girl off, what buttons to push with her, differing with whatever reaction I was aiming to achieve. Playing the 'woman belongs in the home' card was a sure fire way to get to her, and that's exactly what I wanted to do. She glared at me, and she looked so much like her mother in that moment that I had to stop myself from visibly flinching at the sight of the glare that could always make me quake when I was a kid.

"Well Dominic. If you want your woman in the kitchen why don't you just go get one of those racer sluts to service you? Because I sure as shit ain't going to be no slave to you." She didn't yell, but there was so much venom in her voice when she said it.

"Maybe, they'd be a lot less trouble and a lot more appreciative." That really was the wrong thing to say.

"You want one of those girls Dom? Then go ahead. I won't stand in your way. Hell it's not like you love me or anything." She'd had this thing, ever since I got back from Lompoc. She always accused me of not loving her. Of course I know now what that was all about, but at the time, I was clueless. It used to piss me off so much. More than anything else ever could. I've always loved her so much that her accusing me of not loving her seemed like the lowest, and stupidest, thing she could possibly say to me.

"What the FUCK is that supposed to mean?" I yelled at her. I'd lost it by that point. I found out later that Brian had showed up around that time and witnessed our fight. Thank god he hadn't showed up earlier, just like Letty had been trying to explain to me. "I can't believe you just said that!" I really couldn't believe that she thought that I didn't love her. It seemed insane to me. But Lett stood firm. She not only believed it, but she challenged me to deny it. "Of course I fucking love you." A real romantic I was. Yelling that you 'fucking love' someone. Not smooth.

"Say it every once in a while Dom. It really isn't that hard. Its three little words. I know you can get your head around them!" She yelled back at me. I've always loved that about her. She always challenged me. She was never scared to get up in my face, yelling at me, cursing me out, and calling me a moron. It's crazy, and probably a little nasty, but I find it hot. Most people are afraid to disagree with me, let alone call me stupid. I love that she's not. Even if in the heat of the moment, it annoys the shit out of me.

"Don't even try and pull that bullshit with me Leticia. I tell you! But what the hell do you expect me to do? Write it in the god damned sky? This isn't a fucking movie of the week little girl." And that was another button I knew very well. She always hated being viewed as the little tag along. The little girl. I never thought of her that way, but I know there was a time when she was 15 or something when other's thought of her that way. It was an easy button, but it was effective.

"Don't you dare start in with the shit again Dominic. I am not a little girl, and you sure as hell weren't calling me one last night." It always amazed me how she could turn an argument around like that. If I had been in a better mood that alone would have been enough to end the argument and have us moving up the stairs to the bedroom as quickly as we could while still joined together. But I was pissed. I was really pissed.

"You don't like that? There's an easy way to stop being called a little girl Leticia. Stop acting like one!" I was an ass. I'll admit it. I shouldn't have spoken to her like that. I have no excuse for it.

"So it's childish to expect my boyfriend to not eye every little slut that parades her shit in front of him? It's childish to care what happens to you? To want to know whether or not my boyfriend loves me? If you don't love me Dom, why the fuck am I here?" She stunned me silent. That was the first time that I found out just how much everything was hurting her. I wish I could say that I cut all the crap out from then on. But I didn't. I was still so angry. She turned away from me then and it brought me out of my stunned state. I grabbed her arm and stopped her from leaving by pushing her up against the wall. I had this vague sense that someone was in the room, watching us, but I was too wrapped up in Lett to care. The walls could have melted around us to reveal the entire population of California and I wouldn't have cared. All I cared about was Lett's lips, her hips as they rocked against mine and the warmth I could feel against my knee.

I found out later that it was Brian. That he'd seen us fighting from the front porch and when he saw me grab Lett and push her up against the wall he'd freaked, thinking I was going to hurt her. I never would. Ever. But he didn't know that, and he ran in and he got an eyeful for it. I remember telling her I loved her and carrying her up the stairs. I don't know how much Brian saw, and I don't really care.

Of course, the euphoria we experienced after our argument would be short lived. We pulled off another heist later that night. It didn't go as well as the others, but it was done. The last one we had to do to get Tran off our backs. We were supposed to be free. But when the morning came, it brought more trouble. Lett was pissed with me still over the not-so-smooth job and she would only get angrier and angrier with me, but worst of all, soon she would be disappointed in me. And that was something that I had a really hard time dealing with.

TBC…

If you want to read more of the argument Brian witnessed. My fic 'Heat' is the argument in its entirety, from Brian's perspective. An outsider's look. So go check out the companion piece Heat.

Reviews please? I've been good.


	16. Chapter 15

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances involved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

**_Chapter 15_**

Letty's POV

--

Brian entered our lives so quickly and so completely it sent us into a bit of a tail spin. And by us, I mean Vince, Jesse, Leon and myself. It was the Toretto Two that wanted him in our lives, not the rest of us. We were perfectly happy with the family we'd created for ourselves, we didn't need anyone else. We were enough. Plenty.

I spent a lot of time over at Mama and Papi's during that time. Dom and I were so weird around each other then. I was afraid that we were drifting so far apart we'd never be able to come back together. I talked to Mama about it a lot. Told her how different Dom was, of course I left out the part about the heists. Oh no, Mama didn't know about the heists. She couldn't know. She'd kill us. I think we all feared her and Papi's wrath more than the cops.

Brian never met Mama and Papi. I didn't want him to. That feeling about him that I just couldn't shake. I didn't want them involved in it. Dom didn't dare argue with me on that one. He knew better. Even though we argued about everything back then. From what we had for dinner, to what parts needed to be ordered at the garage, to who drove what role in a job. Anything and everything. Even Mia once.

It was the day after Mia and Brian's date and we were working in the garage. Brian left to do a run of parts for Harry. Mia and Dom had a little tiff. Yeah, I said tiff, because you can't call what they had an argument. That wasn't an argument. It was a passive aggressive tiff. There's no other word for it. Anyway, Mia stormed out of the garage and I rolled out from under a car. He was looking into the belly of a one and he just looked so stressed out. He can't hide stuff like that from me and most of the time he doesn't even try to. It was just us; there was no need to hide, except that we'd been arguing for days. I could tell it had taken its toll on him, and he was trying to hide from me then. It could have turned into an argument so easily. He was defensive, just like he always was when he was tired and overwhelmed. I questioned him on Mia and he snapped back at me. I believe his exact words were 'what do you care?' A low blow. He knew how much I cared, and I think he knew that normally that would make me snap and we would end up having a knock down drag out which would inevitably result in us tearing each other's clothes off. He needed a release, and I think he even wanted me to yell at him. To tell him he was wrong and he was an ass. But looking at him, he seemed so defeated. I couldn't, and I wouldn't engage him in a useless argument. I gave him what he wanted, what we both wanted, and needed. We had the garage all to ourselves, no one was around. No one would ever know, not that we cared about that. I needed him as much as he needed me. And I needed to show him that I loved him, that I knew what pressure he was under, that I would always stick by him.

We found out later that the cops raided Tran's that day. Brian was acting so strange when he got back from the run for Harry. Looking back it was my instincts that made me look at him a little more closely that day. Something was definitely wrong. I knew it, but I ignored it. But when Dom came back from taking the newly finished car for a test drive and he told me that he was going to let Brian in on the heists if he did well at race wars it was all on.

We were supposed to be done with the heists. Tran had said as much with the last job. That was it, it was over, and we could get back to normal. We got in to it pretty bad that night. I know that Mia ended up spending the night at Mama and Papi's to escape the war we were raging inside Dom's bedroom. I was beyond angry. I had accepted that we had to do the jobs to get Tran off our asses. I didn't like it, but I'd accepted it. I couldn't understand why he would drag us into another one. Why he would risk our family, our life together, our future, again. I screamed questions at him and he just sat on the end of the bed saying 'you don't understand' to every single one. The same thing over and over again. He never yelled, he never flinched. Just the same monotonous response every time. He made me angrier and angrier by the second. He wouldn't fight with me, and that scared me to death.

I think I ended up calling him a pussy or something, just to get a rise out of him, to make him fight with me. It was an easy blow to land and it hit the spot just right. Dom stood up, strode up to me and stood so close to me, looking down into my face, that it should have been intimidating. But Dom could never use his size or anything else to frighten me into submission.

"We have to do it Leticia. I've told you we're doing it. So we're doing it. That's it, end of discussion." Well, do you think I would really leave it be at that? Hell no. I was not some submissive little racer slut. I had never let him pull that shit with me and I wasn't about to start then.

"Don't you even try to pull that domineering bullshit with me Toretto. You want Vince, Leon, Jesse and I to help you pull this off you better start talking. Cause if I don't like the reason it ain't happening." I was being exactly what I was accusing him of being, but I didn't care. We'd followed Dom blindly for long enough. It was his turn to start doing what we said, to follow our lead. I looked up at him looking down at me, both of us standing strong refusing to back down. His face was so hard, I know that look, and I know the fear it has invoked in others. But that tactic didn't work on me. I held his gaze with a fierce one of my own. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he sighed, his eyes closed for a second and his head lowered. He was defeated, and in watching him like that, I felt defeated. I never wanted to beat him, to crush him; it was never my aim to see him like that, to have him feel that way. I always wanted to make him feel strong. But I wasn't going to stand by and follow him into reckless and dangerous situations. We are a partnership, we stand together, no one leads and no one follows. We make each other strong.

"We're gonna lose the house Lett." I almost didn't recognise his voice. I raised my hands to cup his face; I made him look at me again.

"What are talking about baby?" I tried to keep my face as soft as possible.

"It wasn't enough. The business Tran sent our way. It wasn't enough. We've been sinking too much money into the garage and not enough has been coming in. I made some payments on the mortgage but they weren't enough. I've been trying to hold them off. But if I don't get them this money they're going to take the house. Our house. I can't let that happen." I couldn't wrap my head around what he was saying; I just stared at him, trying to process it. We couldn't let it happen, we couldn't. This was our house. Dom's, Mia's, mine, Maria and Tony's. We couldn't lose this too, Dom couldn't lose this too. I had to be strong again, for him.

"Ok baby. We're not going to let that happen." I dropped my hands from his face and we moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "There has to be another way though." He shook his head at me. I knew there wasn't. I knew that Dom would have already explored every possible option. If he was left with this, he was desperate. I nodded my head and took his hand. "Then we have no choice. We have to do it."

TBC…

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	17. Chapter 16

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances involved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

**_Chapter 16_**

Dom's POV

--

One more job. That was what it came down too. We were off the hook with Tran, but the bank was still on my back. I had to do one more job. It was the last thing I wanted. To make things worse, Mia found out. She'd known we'd been dragged into something bad with Tran, but we never let her know the details. I think that's why there was so much tension between us then. She was angry that I was hiding things from her. But that wasn't my intention. I was trying to protect her. She was still a kid. I know that my refusal to let her in on our 'big secret' hurt her, but it was for the best. She couldn't have any involvement. It created trouble between her and Vince too.

I'm no fool. I've always known how Vince felt about Mia. Ever since she was 16 he'd had a thing for her. But she never seemed that interested in anything other than friendship with him. They were friends though. Brian made it harder for them to be friends, almost damn near impossible, but they could always talk to each other. When I told Vince that he couldn't talk to Mia about the heists, well that just put more distance between them. I know Vince was angry at me for my role in their souring relationship, but Vince would always have my back. He never questioned me and he what I asked; he refused to talk about it with her. I heard them arguing a few times over it, but he never budged. I think deep down he knew that I was trying to protect her. If anything happened and we were caught, she was completely innocent. Neither of us wanted her to get in to trouble. So going along with my wishes was made that bit easier for him.

We went to race wars knowing that the last job was going down that first night. Mia tried to stop us, told us that we'd figure something out. She didn't understand that we'd tried to figure something out. There was nothing left to do. This was our only shot. But Mia doesn't like being told that she's wrong. She said it didn't feel right. That it was wrong. Of course it was wrong. Like I said, we're not hardened criminals. This wasn't something we wanted to do. But we had no choice. I've told myself that thousands of times over the years, and the honest answer is that we didn't. At the time, we really didn't. Nothing else seemed to present itself. No great miracle to pull us out of trouble and gently place us back on our feet again. Our lives had never been that easy.

Of course Jesse had taken off and we were one man down. That made things more complicated and I'd be lying if I said it didn't scare me. I had the same reservations the others had, but I had to be strong. I had to be tough. If we did that last job everything would be ok. We could make the mortgage payment, the house would be safe and we'd be free to work and race and continue to live our lives. So we took off in the middle of the night, while Mia cried in the trailer in the desert. We couldn't have known. I couldn't have known how horribly wrong it would go. If I could I never would have gone. I never would have put their lives in danger like that. Everything just unravelled. Right before my eyes. I could see it all going wrong and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

We were driving down the highway. It was light and we'd never done a job in daylight. That should have been our first warning sign. There's no where to hide in the light. People are braver in the light of day. The darkness provided a cover for us. I should have stopped it right then. But desperate men do desperate things.

We lined up as usual, Vince ready to jump onto the semi when I saw it. The gun. The driver had a fucking big shotgun. I tried to pull Vince back in. To tell him not to jump. But he didn't see it, and he didn't hear me. He was out of my car and on the semi in seconds. It all happened so fast. He got tangled up in the line, and he was hanging off the side of the truck, and there was blood. I'll never forget the look in Vince's eyes as he hung there, waiting for me to come help him. I tried, I really did. And then I saw Letty's car flip and my heart stopped. I was so afraid. I'm man enough to admit it. I was terrified. I thought I was going to lose them all. I told Leon to go back for Letty. I didn't want him putting himself in danger to help Vince and someone had to help Lett. I was trying to hold on, to stay with Vince. But the tire blew out, and I was losing speed. The car stopped and then this orange blur sped past me. It was Brian. I'd never been so happy to see a man before in my life. He took off down the highway to Vince and I started praying as I watched him. I could hear the roar of Leon's engine coming up behind me as I watched. I watched Brian lose the roof of the car, I watched Mia take the wheel and I watched as Brian jumped onto the truck. Leon picked me up and for a moment I forgot the scene playing out in front of us.

Lett was in the back of the car. There was blood on her lip. Her face was twisted in pain. I'd done this to her. I'd put her in this position. I hated myself so much. She was in pain because of me. She was hurt, because of me. I'd never hated anything as much as I hated myself. Not Tran. Not Linder. Not the bastard who hit Joey. Not anyone. I didn't take my eyes off her until Leon pushed me into the front seat and ran around to the driver's side. We took off down the road and my attention went straight back to the truck. Brian had Vince free of the truck and was getting him into the car. He jumped off just before the truck driver shot at him and they veered off the road into the desert.

When we pulled up and got out to check on Vince, I remember everything seeming so removed. Like it all had a haze over it. I looked at Letty, sitting in the back of the car, and I told her I loved her. It was such a small thing, and it wasn't everything I wanted to say to her, but we didn't have time. Vince was shot, he was bleeding, and we had to get him to a doctor. I ran for him, trying to banish the look Letty had giving me from my mind. She looked so disappointed in me.

Vince was in a bad way. Brian called for an ambulance and that's when we found out. Brian Connor not Brian Spilner. He was a cop. He was setting us up all along. I'd trusted him; I'd brought him into our lives. I had been such a fool. I'd wanted to trust him so badly. I'd wanted something good in our lives, someone for Mia, a new family member, so bad that I'd been blind to everything. To the warnings from Letty, Vince, Leon. I was a fool.

But in that moment, none of it mattered. Brian was helping Vince and that was all that mattered. Vince had to be ok. He just had to be.

We took off; Leon took Letty to a hospital, got her fixed up and took her over the border to Mexico. We'd planned the night before to all split up and head for Mexico as soon as the job was done. We'd meet up there and head back when the heat was off. So they left, I took Mia home and I had to go get Jesse.

When Brian showed up I really was losing it. I'd failed at protecting my own family and here this lying bastard was standing in front of me accusing me of running. I'm not a coward, and I sure as shit do not abandon my family. Jesse needed me, I wasn't going anywhere, I was all the kid had. And I wasn't going to let Brian stand in my way.

Jesse always had a knack for showing up at appropriate times. Just as Brian and I were about to get into it, he pulls up. The kid was so scared. I wanted to yell at him, I wanted to tell him I'd make everything ok. It was all so confusing. It was all just too much. Then we heard the car down the street. It reached us in seconds, we didn't have enough time. The sharp cracking of the bullets rang out, I saw Jesse's body jerking, I heard Mia screaming, and then he dropped to the ground. I got to him as fast as I could. There was so much blood; it clouded everything until it was all I could see. The fog that I'd fought off for so long took hold. I don't even remember going after the Trans. I just remember sitting at that light, waiting for it to change, my shirt stained in both Vince and Jesse's blood. Again time seemed to speed up and slow down all at once. We were racing, where we used to in high school at the rail road tracks. We made it past the train, but then there was a truck. I remember the car flipping; I remember the shooting pain in my shoulder. And I remember Brian pulling me out of the car. But the little things, the moments in between, they're all a blur. I don't remember getting from A to B, I just remember A and B.

The sirens got closer and closer, and then there were keys in my face. Brian was telling me to go. That he still owed me a ten second car. I still don't know what his motivation was or what he thought he saw in us, but whatever it was, I'm glad. I took the keys and I booked. So much for never running away. But I'd told him before that I wouldn't go back to jail. Not because I was afraid, or hated being caged. It was because I wouldn't be torn from my family again. I wouldn't put them through that, and I didn't think I could survive it.

I got in the car, and only looked back once. I started driving and I didn't stop. Past the border, and in to Mexico. I called Mia, she told me that Jesse was in intensive care and so was Vince. But Letty was fine, and she and Leon were on their way to meet me. So I waited. I waited for my girl, and I hoped that she didn't hate me, that she still loved me and that she was still willing to stick by me.

TBC…


	18. Chapter 17

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances involved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

**_Chapter 17_**

Letty's POV

--

Nothing ever turns out the way you expect. I didn't expect I'd end up sitting in an emergency room near the Mexican border when we left for the last job. And the last thing I ever expected to hear was that I was pregnant. Fear raced through me the minute I heard those words. Fear for myself, for Dom, for the baby. I'd been banged around pretty bad when the car flipped. Our whole world had been turned upside down, nothing was certain; I didn't even know the fate of those left behind. Thankfully the doctors told me that everything was fine with the pregnancy. I'd actually got off pretty lucky. I had two cracked ribs, a chipped tooth and a fat lip. It could definitely have been worse. But in saying that, it sure as shit could have been better.

When Leon and I had driven off, leaving Dom and Mia at the house, I hadn't said a word to him. I hadn't said a word to anyone. I was so angry with Dom. I blamed him for it all. I ignored my own role in it, everyone else's roles in it; all I could see was Dom. All I could think was it was Dom's fault. So when Leon told me it would all be ok, as soon as we got to Dom, I started laughing. We were in the car, leaving the hospital on our way to the rendezvous point in Mexico. It was the first sound I'd made since leaving for the heist. I saw him jump out of the corner of my eye. He wasn't expecting that reaction from me. And I wasn't expecting the pain that ripped through me from it.

"Lett, are you ok?" His voice was so concerned.

"I'm fine Leon. But it's not going to be ok when we get to Dom. He can't make any of this ok." I didn't recognize my own voice. It was laced with so much hate. And for the last person in the world I could have ever imagined. I didn't have any idea what I was going to say when I saw Dom, and for the first time in my life, I didn't want to see him. To make things worse, I didn't know how Vince was. He was in the hospital and he was alive; that was all the information we could get.

We drove for over an hour and the whole time I kept my eyes closed trying to come up with something to say to Dom. Something worth the effort. Everything had been so strained and weird between us for over a year, and everything that had happened in the last couple of weeks just made the gap between us larger. But now, now we had a baby on the way. I didn't know how to tell him, and to be perfectly honest, I didn't really want to tell him. When the car rolled to a stop I finally opened my eyes and looked around. We were parked outside this little cabin house. It was kind of beautiful. But what I remember most was the smell of the ocean. As soon as Leon opened his door I was assaulted by it. It was incredible. But the moment only lasted a second before reality slapped me in the face.

I got out of the car, I don't remember the steps up to the house, and I don't remember who opened the door, I only remember standing inside the front door and looking at Dom. He was standing in the middle of the room. I remember looking past him, trying to find the quickest route for escape should the need arise. There were doors leading out onto a patio behind him, and wouldn't you know it, it opened up onto the beach. If the circumstances had been different I would have thought the place was paradise.

Dom stepped toward me slowly, but I wouldn't look at him. I kept my eyes on the water behind him, on the waves crashing. Suddenly his big arms were around me, surrounding me, and the pain from my ribs was unbearable. I pulled away with a scream of pain and ran past him straight out the door on to the sand. I remember dropping once I landed on the soft sand. My knees sunk in to the warmth but all I could feel was the pain. An overwhelming pain. It seemed to spread through me, making every part of my body ache. I don't know how long I was out there, but Dom must have followed me, I could feel him sitting beside me, but I kept my eyes closed. I was trying so hard to will the pain away.

"How's the pain?" His voice croaked but all I could do was shake my head. "I'm sorry baby. I'm so sorry. I wish I could take the pain for you."

"Don't." I said before he could say anything else. I didn't want phony apologies, and meaningless words. I was just so angry. I actually wanted him to hurt. I wanted him to feel the way I felt. To feel what I'd been feeling since he got back from Lompoc.

"Tell me what to do Lett. Tell me what to do to make this right." His voice was low and deeper than ever. He didn't look at me, he knew better. He just followed my eyes and stared at the crashing waves.

"I don't know if there is anything you can do." I still didn't recognize my voice. It was almost robotic.

"There has to be. I'm not letting you go." His possessive streak kicked in and he growled. That sound would always make me shiver in such a wonderful way. But not that time.

"What if you don't have a choice?" The robot was still talking for me.

"What are talking about? You gonna make the choice for me? You've been looking for a way out for a year Lett. If this is it for you, I suppose there's nothing I can do to stop you." And his anger kicked in. You could set your watch by it. If he didn't get the exact response he was hoping for he always turned straight to anger. But he wasn't going to get away with it.

"Don't do that."

"Don't do what?" His confusion was laced with anger, or maybe it was his anger that was laced with confusion. It was hard to tell. There was so much of it in him. There'd been so much anger in him for so long, that the Dom I knew and loved seemed a distant memory. But I've never gone down without a fight before. If he wanted one, he was going to get one.

"I'm not going anywhere. No matter how hard you try to push me away."

"What?"

"You think I've been looking for a way out for a year? You've been pushing me away for that long. Everything you've done has been in an attempt to get rid of me. I've stuck by you through everything. So if you want me gone, man up and say so. Don't put it on me." It all came out in one fuming breath. It hurt my chest, my ribs; I struggled to take in air through the pain. But I was determined not to let him see.

"I have not been trying to push you away; I've been trying to hold on to you." The anger seemed to dull for a moment. But I knew it would be short lived. We still had so much fight left in us.

"This is your way of holding on? What happened to my Dominic? The one before Lompoc. You turned in to such a tough guy. You don't tell me anything. You don't trust me anymore. Do you even love me anymore?" I knew what I was doing. Playing that card. It always pushed his buttons, made him open up. But the truth is, I really was starting to doubt it. By confronting him I knew I'd get an honest response, and I thought that a declaration of love yelled in anger was better than none at all at the time.

"Don't start with that again. You know how much I love you. Everything I do is for you, for us." He looked towards the water, and I wanted to believe him, I really did. But I couldn't.

"Bullshit. Everything you do is for you Dom." He turned back to me sharply, the anger so vivid in his eyes that for a moment I thought that maybe I should have been scared of him. Scared for myself. But still, my heart knew better and it wouldn't let me give in to my head. I had nothing to fear. Dom would never physically hurt me. Not intentionally. No matter how angry he got. And boy did he get angry.

"You think I liked it? You think I wanted to put you in danger like that? All of us. I hated it."

"Did you really? Or did you get a thrill from it? From the speed and the hunt. I know you Dominic, you feed off shit like that." It wasn't fair. Using his love of cars against him, his love of racing. It wasn't fair, but I knew what it would do and I wanted to hurt him.

"I didn't want to do it. I didn't. I had no choice." He was pleading with me; I could hear it in his voice. But I wasn't willing to give in. To give up and be the good little girlfriend who goes along with her man no matter how wrong he is. I couldn't be her and I wouldn't.

"So you say." The robot had returned again.

"You know I had no choice. I… I… forget it." He was running again. But now that I think about it, I don't think he was. I think he was trying to get me to keep the fight going. He wanted more punishment, but most of all, I think he wanted me to pull the truth out of him. Drag it kicking and screaming.

"Oh no. No way Dom. Park it. You started this fight, you wanted it. Finish it." I'd been ignoring the pain in my chest throughout the entire fight, but for a moment I couldn't ignore it anymore. I looked up at him with anger, in an attempt to hide the pain.

"I don't want to fight with you Lett."

"Bullshit, you've been picking fights with me since you got back" He couldn't deny it. No one could, hell even Leon and Jesse knew what he was up to.

"I just want everything back the way it was." For a moment, he sounded just like he did when Joey was still alive. Just for a moment and it almost broke my resolve. Almost.

"We can't do that. It's impossible. But if you really want to save us. Start talking."

"What do you want me to say?" It was a real question. He really did want me to tell him just what to say to make everything ok. I couldn't give him the words, but I could set him on the right path. Because what I wanted him to say, was the same thing I'd always wanted from him, all I'd ever expected. The truth.

"I want you tell me what the hell has been going on with you for the past year."

"I don't know if I can do that." There was pain in his eyes. Dom was a proud man, he'd inherited it from his Papa and I loved it about him. But he never could see that with me, he didn't have to be. He didn't have to hide; he didn't have to be tough. He could just be free.

"Then walk away Dominic. Walk away now and don't look back." It almost killed me saying it. But I couldn't live like that. My Mama and Papi had a wonderful relationship, so did his, and they were able to do so because they didn't allow pretenses between them. They knew that they could be open and free with each other. Not only was it allowed but it was expected. They loved each other because of, not in spite of, their flaws. I wanted that kind of relationship; that kind of love. And I wouldn't settle for anything less. If Dom couldn't give it to me, the one man I wanted it from, than I couldn't be with him anymore. I'm an all or nothing kind of girl.

"I can't do that either." The fierce possessiveness was back. I think he knew that he could have been forcing me to walk. But he was so determined to be strong, that he couldn't let his guard down, not even with me. Maybe I should have walked away right then. But I just couldn't. I would give him one more chance because I believed him. I believed that he didn't want to walk away; I believed that he wanted me.

"Well it looks like you have a choice to make. Think real long and hard Dom. Because I won't be here forever. As soon as I can, I'm going home. Whether or not you come with me… well right now, that's up to." I stood up and left him sitting in the sand. I didn't look back at him; I just walked straight back into the house. I was tired, I hadn't slept and I was sore. I just needed to find a bed to collapse on. My head was pounding and not from the pain in my chest. I was so sick of it all. I lay there awake for hours that night. Just thinking about where we'd been and where we could possibly be heading. I'd even forgotten about the baby. Can you believe it? I barely can. It seems impossible but that night I lay there so worried about everything and completely confused that I didn't have time to process the news that I was given, the life inside me wasn't real to me yet. I got up more than once that night ready to get in the car and leave. But every time I got to the front door I would stop and turn back around. I couldn't do it. I couldn't walk away. He still had me. Completely.

The next morning I got up after very minimal sleep and I walked outside. Dom was sitting in the sand, in the same spot I'd left him the day before. I didn't want to walk over to him, but somehow I was standing beside him suddenly.

"Have you been out here all night?" I didn't look at him. I kept my eyes trained on the safest thing I knew right then… the water.

"I'm sorry I failed you." He sounded so defeated that it broke my heart.

"What?"

"I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough. I couldn't be strong enough for you. I failed you." His voice was so deep, and yet it was barely audible.

"What are talking about Dom?"

"I should have walked away." He frightened me with that.

"Away from who? Away from me?" I could hear the fear in my own voice. As much as I was trying to tell myself I could and would walk away from Dom if I had to, and never look back, the thought terrified me. I loved him with everything I had.

"Linder. I should have walked away from Linder."

"Dom…" I almost sighed with relief; I had to bite it back. But the pain in his voice… that I couldn't deny and I couldn't escape.

"No. I should have been strong enough to walk away. You needed me, Mia needed me. I had to be the man. I was supposed to be strong and I was weak. I had one job and I failed."

"Dominic…" I didn't know what to say, or how to comfort him. I turned and looked at him, but his eyes were staring blankly ahead of him. He was giving me what I wanted, even if it killed him.

"I'm sorry. Tell me you'll forgive me. Please Lett. Tell me." He finally looked at me and he looked so desperate. I wanted to grab him and hug him and tell him it was all ok, that he didn't have to talk anymore, that it would all be ok. I wanted to, but I didn't.

"Is this what you've been feeling guilty about all this time?"

"You knew?"

"Knew you felt guilty? Of course I knew. You always try to fight with people when you feel like you need to be punished. You've been doing it since you were a kid."

"I forget sometimes how well you know me." There was a slight smile on his face. It was barely there but I could see it.

"I know you better than you know yourself." I tried to smile for him, but I don't think I succeeded. I did manage to get the coldness to leave my voice though.

"Please tell me Lett." How could I deny him? How?

"Dom… I've forgiven you a lot in the past, and I never blamed you for Linder. That was all in your head. No one blamed you for that but you. So, no I won't forgive you that because there's no need. But the heists… that's different… right now, I'm pissed. I probably will be pissed for a while… but I will forgive you, eventually. There's something that I won't ever forgive you for though… if you don't cut it out. If you keep this bullshit up where you shut me out and start acting like the tough guy again, I'm gone. I can't forgive it again." They were my terms. Out on the table. Take it or leave it.

"Fair enough."

I sat down beside him. "Keep talking Dominic."

"I'm sorry about the heists. I really didn't mean for us to get involved in all of it. I just wanted to come home and start living again. I wanted to be able to make everything ok. But it was all so much. There was so much debt. All the hospital bills, the mortgage, the lawyer. I didn't know what to do; I was in way over my head. All I knew was that I couldn't tell you and Mia, because I didn't want you to worry." I let him take my hand and squeezed his fingers when he squeezed mine.

"I understand that Dom. But you have to understand something too. If we are going to work, if we are going to make it, you have to understand that we are a team. You have to tell me this stuff. We will always find a way to get through it. But I can't be wondering whether or not it's me that's got you so off kilter. I can't be worried that there is something wrong with us. If there is something wrong in our lives, we'll fix it. Just let me in on it man." It was my turn to plead, and hope.

"Ok. I'm sorry. I should have told you." He nodded and smiled at me softly.

"Yeah." I turned back to the water, and kept my eyes on its steady rhythm.

"Lett?"

"Mmm?"

"I'm sorry you got hurt." His voice wavered slightly and I turned towards him. He looked broken. "I never wanted you to hurt baby?" He was looking at me so strangely. I'd never seen him like that before. He looked so… ashamed.

"I know that." I know it was true, I knew it then, and I know it now. This man that I've loved for so long would never hurt me, never intentionally. No, not my man, not my Dom.

TBC…

_AN: Ok, so I was gone for a week. I know, I'm sorry… but this chapter really kicked my ass. I've been working on it for a week straight. I just couldn't seem to put everything in my head into words. I hope I did ok. Let me know?_

_Oh and remember, if I don't post for a few days, I haven't disappeared again, I'm just working on a chapter. Trying to get it right._


	19. Chapter 18

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances involved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

**_Chapter 18_**

Dom's POV

--

It would be another three days before Lett finally told me about the baby. We had been spending a lot of time on the beach during those three days. Sometimes we talked, sometimes we fought, and sometimes we just walked silently.

But the day she told me we had been telling stories of better times. We'd been laughing when suddenly Lett got real quiet and looked out at the water. She just stared straight ahead. I thought she was thinking about Joey or Mama so I kept my mouth shut and looked out at the water too. But as the silence dragged on and on, I got impatient and tried on my best moves;

The hair tuck - I reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear –

The cheek caress; I gently stroked her cheek with the backs of my fingers.

They were guaranteed, tried and tested techniques for comforting my girl. She kept her eyes on the ocean.

"Dom, I have to tell you something." I didn't know what to say so I just watched her face until she decided to speak again. She kept her eyes on the horizon as she spoke.

"When Leon took me to the hospital after... The doc found something." That got my attention.

"Is everything ok?" I tried to keep the panic out of my voice.

"I'm going to have a baby." She said it as if she was telling me that she was going to get a soda, and I was floored. I'm telling you, Jaws himself could have swam up to shore, sprouted legs and started singing nessun dorma in a perfect tenor and I wouldn't have noticed. I honestly don't know how long I sat there, staring at her face without saying a word but it was obviously long enough that Lett turned to me finally.

"Dom?" I blinked a few times.

"Wh… When did we..?" I was real eloquent.

"Make her? I think it was that night that Brian took Mia out. That was the only time we weren't careful and from what the doctor said it adds up"

I nodded still trying to process it all. I remember that night and well... I wasn't surprised that it was that particular encounter that resulted in a child. It was then though, that something Lett said clicked.

"Wait... Her?" she shrugged at me and looked down at her hands.

"I don't know... It's too early to tell, it just feels weird to say 'it' you know?" I nodded. I was shocked and my lack of response was starting to really worry Lett.

"For god's sake, say something Dom."

"Sorry I'm just in shock. I'm happy about it though, believe me, it's just... Wow!" she laughed at me then. Long and hearty. I don't know what was so funny but her laughter was contagious because next thing I know the two of us are rolling around in the sand laughing our heads off like a couple of kids.

When I noticed that Lett was out of breath and obviously in pain from her ribs I collapsed on the sand beside her and pulled her into my side. Staring up at the clear blue sky while Lett lay tucked into my side with her head on my shoulder I got a flash of Lett. An image of her with a protruding stomach, swollen with the life we'd created and suddenly it all seemed real. Lett was pregnant. I was going to be a father. We were having a baby.

I rolled over on to Lett, careful to keep my weight on my arms as they rested either side of her head. I looked down into her eyes before kissing her deeply. The first kiss we'd shared since before the last heist. When I pulled back reluctantly I buried my face in her neck breathing in her scent. Her arms wrapped around me and a peace I'd never known before came over me.

"What was that for?" Lett asked.

"We're having a baby" I smiled against her neck.

"Yes we are" she replied and I could hear the smile in her voice.

This beautiful, incredible woman was having my baby. I pulled away and looked down at her. She smiled at me. A real, honest to god smile. I hadn't seen that smile since I got back from Lompoc.

They say that there are moments in your life you never forget. That they stay in your memory like they had only happened mere hours earlier when days, months, and years could have passed. I'd always believed that. After all, I remember the day that Joey died perfectly, the image burned into my brain, along with the day ma told us she was sick, the day she finally died, the day pop died and the day of the last heist. All of my most vivid memories were horrific. I'd never had one that was perfect. Actually that's not entirely true. I remember the first time Lett and I ever... Well I remember that very clearly. But I remember the day Lett told me was going to be a father like it was yesterday. Just as they say. I remember every word of that conversation, every detail. I remember the smell of the salt in the air. The feel of the sand beneath us. The sound of the ocean. But what's most vivid is the strawberry scent of Letty's hair. The vanilla of her skin and its silky texture. The way it looked as the sun beat down on her. I remember everything. It's permanently etched into my memory and my heart. It's a conversation a father never forgets; no matter how many times he has it; no matter where life takes him; they are a part of him. The days he's made whole. A father never forgets.

_AN: Ok, a short one I know. But I have a very good reason for this one taking so long. I've been really really sick for the past 2 months. So forgive me? Review everyone… I'm feeling much better now and can't wait to get in there and finish this fic. _


	20. Chapter 19

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances involved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

**_Chapter 19_**

Letty's POV

--

In the days after I'd told Dom about the baby, things had been comfortable between us. For the first time since his return from Lompoc we actually seemed like ourselves. Mia called everyday to let us know how Vince and Jesse were doing. She went to see them both every day and was keeping a close eye on them. Vince was out of ICU, giving the staff hell and teasing Mia. Jesse was still in ICU but he'd woken up and was doing much better. Dom had relaxed considerably knowing that both Vince and Jesse were going to be fine. He carried so much guilt over what happened, still does, and not even the news that they were ok could dissuade that. Mia never mentioned Brian, she did tell Dom that things were starting to look up on her end with regards to the cops and she'd keep us informed. But she never mentioned him specifically or even indirectly, and Dom never asked.

Even with the progress we were making Dom and I were still not sleeping in the same room. We were doing better, believe me, but we weren't there yet. My ribs were healing well, I'd had a check up with an American Doctor who was now living south of the border and he'd basically given me a clean bill of health. The swelling around my ribs had gone down and the breaks were healing well. The bruising on my face had faded away to nothing and the baby was doing great. All possible physical reasons for keeping Dom out of my bed were gone, but that didn't mean that I was ready to have him back. To his credit Dom was really good about it. Every night when I went to bed and he settled on the sofa he never complained. He never said a word, and never pressed it. Unfortunately for him he was starting to deal with a pregnant woman and not just his fiery Latina girlfriend.

All I can say is that it must have been my hormones; I don't know what made me go off like that. I mean, I know… but I don't know. Does that make sense? I know the underlying reason I was upset but I had no idea that it would come out the way it did.

One night it was getting late, we were sitting on the sofa with Leon watching some stupid movie. It finished and Leon went off to his room, I yawned and stood to go to mine but I stopped at the doorway. I turned back around and watched Dom as he got the pillow from a hall closet and a blanket and got his 'bed' ready for the night. Suddenly I was so angry at him. I don't think I have ever been that angry in my life. He was just about to lie down and I pounced.

"What the hell are you doing?" I yelled at him. God I think I may have even screeched.

"What?" Dom looked up at me completely in shock and totally confused.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Lett, you gotta help me out here, I have no idea what you're talking about?" His voice remained calm and full of confusion. God, thinking back on it now I feel so bad for him. He couldn't have known what he was dealing with.

"Why are you doing that?" I said indignantly pointing towards his makeshift bed on the sofa.

"Doing what? Setting up for bed?"

"Yes" I yelled again, the volume control on my voice was seriously malfunctioning.

"Because it's late and I want to get some sleep" He replied gently.

"Don't patronise me. Why haven't you tried to sleep in my room with me?" That got his attention. His eyes widened and he seemed to realise that this wasn't going to go away quickly.

"I didn't think you wanted me to." He sounded so small in that second.

"I don't."

"Then what's the problem?" Dom shook his head. The poor boy.

"Why don't you want to?" I asked him like a petulant five year old.

"I do want to Lett. I do, believe me, I do." His voice was soft like he was trying to calm a wild dog, and I suppose he kind of was. I think by that point though he was starting to catch on to the hormone fuelled rage that was overwhelming me.

"Then why did you just accept it? Why didn't you at least ask me? Once you would have fought me over it."

"No I wouldn't have." His voice stayed calm and soft no matter how loud, and angry, and high pitched mine got.

"Ok, no you wouldn't have. But you would have asked." For the first time since I'd started this fight my voice dropped and the screech left it.

"Yes I would have." He agreed and that only served to anger me further. But then, the state I was in, I don't think there was anything he could have said or done to placate me.

"Then why haven't you?" The five year old returned to my voice and my manner.

"Because I didn't think I had a right to."

"I'm having your god damned baby and you don't think you have a right to sleep in the same room as me?" I don't know why that had pissed me off so much. Hell I don't know why I did anything I did that night. But that really pissed me off.

"I hurt you. Through my actions you have broken ribs. No, I didn't think I had a right to."

"God you're an idiot. Bloody stubborn Italian asshole." I muttered turning my back on him.

"Lett?" He was still so confused. And my irrational ramblings were only serving to confuse him further.

"Ask me damn it!" I yelled whirling around to face him.

"Fine. Can I sleep in your room with you?" He was starting to lose his patience; his fists were clenched by his side.

"No."

"Jesus Christ woman! You are driving me insane here. What do you want? Tell me, what do you want?" He reached forward, taking my upper arms in his large hands and pulling me closer to him so we were eye to eye.

"I want you to want me." I countered; my voice full of rage.

"I do." He answered, his own voice barely containing the anger that was rising in him.

"I want you to want to fight for me." I looked him straight in the eye and I could see something change in his. Like a light bulb had gone off or something.

"I am." His voice returned to its gentle, soft register.

"I want you to know that I love you and I don't know what's going on at the moment or what to do." I was starting to go from irate to emotional. My voice wavered with slight trepidation.

"I do." His hands on my arms loosened their grip but they didn't let go.

"I want you to want to make everything ok." I started to feel like crying. All the anger left me as quickly as it had possessed me and what it left in its wake was worse. Fear. Suddenly all the fear I'd been suppressing was bubbling up to the surface and I know that Dom could see it in my now watery eyes.

"I do want to." His eyes were pleading with me to believe him. I did believe him.

"I want you to tell me everything's going to be ok."

"Everything's going to be ok." He whispered abandoning my arms to wrap one of his around my waist and brush my cheek gently with the other.

"I want… I want… I want you." The next thing I knew I was kissing him. Dom was so stunned he didn't react at first. He just stood stock still while my lips assaulted his. He came round though and wrapped his arms around my waist pulling me close against him. As Dom started to kiss me back with equal intensity to my own all the anger, the fear, the sadness, it was all replaced with a lust a thousand times stronger than any passion they had evoked.

I pulled Dom in to my room, kicking the door closed behind me and tore his clothes off with an urgency I hadn't felt since that first time after he'd been in lock up.

Dom started sleeping in my room after that night.

TBC…

AN: Hi everyone! Thanks for all your well wishes. I'm feeling much better now, so it's writing time. Hope you enjoy this chapter, can't wait to hear from you all. I love checking my email and seeing all your reviews there. I'm a review junky after all, and I'm in desperate need of a hit.

Until next time...


	21. Chapter 20

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances involved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

_Chapter 20_

_Dom's POV_

--

I look back now on my first experience with a pregnancy induced hormone surge with mixed emotions. On the one hand Letty had been completely wacko. On the other… she'd gotten really… frisky. That was also the night that Lett and I started sharing a room again. Things between us became a lot more relaxed then. We were really starting to resemble our old selves again… with a few improvements. We were better to each other… nicer… more like before Lompoc and yet… I don't know how to explain it… things were just better.

It was such an amazing time then. Watching Letty's belly slowly swell as the baby grew. It made it all the more real, and an entirely mind blowing experience. I can't begin to explain what it's like to watch your girls stomach expand, knowing that it's because there is a life that you helped create growing inside her. It's amazing. And concealed safely down in Mexico, in our own little world, nothing could touch us. We were free to just enjoy each other.

Of course it couldn't last forever. We both knew that we had to go home eventually. Letty was really starting to miss Luce and Eddie too. She'd get this far away look in her eyes and I knew she was thinking about them. And truth be told, I was missing them too. Letty hadn't spoken to them since the day we left for race wars. Neither had I for that matter. But Lett had never gone more than a day without speaking to at least one of her parents. But it had been weeks. I knew she was dreading the conversation. And I knew that she wasn't ready to have it. I should have talked to her about it. But at the time I was struggling with a few issues of my own.

Lett would pump Mia for information on her parents every time she called. We knew that Luce and Eddie knew about the heists, knew about the trouble we'd gotten ourselves in. But they also knew that we were safe, and Mia assured Lett that they had been so relieved that she wasn't hurt, that was all they cared about. It gave her comfort. She feared that they hated her, or worse, they were ashamed. Mia told her that they weren't. I told her that they weren't. But Lett couldn't believe it until it came from them. It was the one thing she couldn't bare. Her greatest fear was disappointing her parents.

I wanted so bad to be able to turn to Lett and tell her that it was all going to be ok cause we'd go home and see Luce and Eddie and they could tell her themselves. But the truth of the matter was that I had no idea. I didn't know what was going on with the cops, or Brian. The conversations I'd had with my sister didn't give anything away. She didn't know anything and she hadn't heard from Brian. It had only been a few weeks, but the wait was agony.

If we weren't going to be able to go home, we just wanted to know so we could at least make arrangements to have the most important elements of home brought to us. If we had to make a life for ourselves on our little beach in Mexico we sure as shit were going to have our family with us.

I never gave anything away to Lett, but I had started to think that that was exactly what we were going to have to do. That we were going to have to settle down in Mexico and prepare to bring our child into the world there. I didn't want to give up the hope that we would be able to return home, but as each day passed, it got harder and harder to convince my self of the possibility.

How on earth were we going to tell Eddie and Luce? It was a question that ran through my head constantly. But I didn't want to burden Letty with it. It was bad enough… the things we'd done… the things I'd done… how on earth was I going to tell them that we could never come home? How was I going to tell them that their grandchild would be born in Mexico and never know the life they'd worked so hard to create in Los Angeles? How was I going to tell them that they were going to be grandparents?

It's not exactly something they should hear over the phone. Lett was still so young… we weren't married, hadn't even talked about marriage. And as accepting as Eddie and Luce are, they were always traditionalists. The fact that their grandchild would be born out of wedlock was going to be a big problem for them. Luce would want to hear it from Letty, in person, not over the phone. She'd want to be able to place her hand on Lett's stomach, to hug her and whisper all the things that mother's whisper to their daughter's when they find out they're going to be mother's too. Luce would need to be able to do all of those things or she'd feel cheated. Lett would need her to do all those things. She was frightened enough as it was, her mother was the only person now who could reassure her. As much as I wished it could be me, I've come to learn that there are times when a girl just needs her mother.

TBC…

Sorry for the long wait. I just had a lot of trouble getting my thoughts together this time around. Hope I have better luck with the next chapter. But we are getting to the end people, so please hang in there. And remember... I love reviews!!


	22. Chapter 21

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances involved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

**_Chapter 21_**

_Letty's POV_

The day we got the call was probably one of the happiest and most frightening days of my life. It was safe. We could go home. Great in theory, not so easy in practice. We still didn't know the details, Mia had just called and told Dom to get his ass home or she'd come down there and drag him home herself. Dom tried to get details out of her, I could hear the one sided argument, but Mia wouldn't budge. She was insistent that it wasn't something to talk about over the phone. And in all honesty, she was right. We still couldn't be certain that no one was listening in. So where's the difficulty? My parents. Once we got home we were going to have to face the music, and somehow tell my parents that we were having a baby. I still can't say what scared us more; the fallout from the heists or the pregnancy. My mama and Papi could be very scary people.

The drive back to Los Angeles was long and rife with tension. Dom and I barely spoke to each other, and not because we were fighting or any bullshit like that. Just because we both were playing out the worst possible scenarios of our return through our heads. We didn't even look at each other for most of the trip. A few stolen glances every now and then, but mostly… well I can tell you in detail what the scenery between Mexico and LA looks like though the tinted window of a car.

We hadn't discussed anything before we left our little beach house either. We just packed our stuff and within 2 hours of Mia's phone call we were on the road. We didn't know where we were going to go first – Mia or my parents. Either way we were going to cop shit. Mia would be pissed we didn't see her first, and so would Mama and Papi. The more I thought about as we drove the more I realized there was no way I could win. Whoever we chose, the other would rip my head off. Although, they couldn't kill a pregnant woman, right?

Well, anyway. We stopped for food a couple of hours into the drive and to fill up on gas. Dom and I looked at each other and we both knew immediately what the other was thinking. We were screwed. Eventually we decided that we should see Mia first and get the full story from her. Mama and Papi were certain to want to know everything and we couldn't tell them what we didn't know. So with our destination in mind we took off again. I don't know how long it took to get the remaining miles behind us; I was too caught up in my own head to notice. But I do know that as soon as I saw the Toretto house come in to view a weight lifted off my shoulders. There was nothing quite like the feeling of coming home. Never has been, never will be.

Mia launched herself at Dom before he even got the entirety of his big body out of the car. Her arms flung around his neck as she cried silently into his shoulder. She'd been so nervous and frightened and a whole heap of other shit since the last heist that it all just came pouring out of her. When she finally stopped crying she ran around to the other side of the car and practically ripped my head off as she pulled me toward her so suddenly and with more strength than I knew the small chica possessed.

"I missed you too." I whispered to her as I felt a few more of her tears leak onto my shoulder. She was holding me so tightly that I thought I would never actually get her off me, but just as suddenly as she grabbed me, she pushed me away. Her eyes grew wide as they bore into mine and I'm not ashamed to admit, she scared the shit out of me. I watched as her eyes slowly ran down my body just to stop on my stomach.

"Oh Eddie's going to kill you." She stated before laughing almost maniacally. I just smiled sarcastically at her and nodded before pulling away from her and stomping into the house. I figured, let Dom deal with it. It was his fault after all. It apparently it didn't take much of a conversation between them though, because I hadn't been flopped into the sofa for more than five minutes when they came in carrying our bags. Mia was all smiles now. Of course she was, she wasn't the one having to deal with two very angry Latina parents.

Of course, there was still a certain talk we were going to have to have with Miss Mia before I'd have to deal with that particular can of worms.

"Mia" I called out loudly, certain that no matter where she was in the house she would hear me. Whether or not she came running is another matter, she must have been feeling guilty for laughing in my face because she came running almost immediately. I still feel a little proud about that.

"What's up Mama?" She teased with a big smile that not even the dirtiest look I had in my arsenal could wipe off her face.

"It's time you started talking Miss." She raised her eyebrows at me; I just shrugged at her and frowned. I knew how much I sounded like my mother right then, and damn, I don't know where it came from… let's just blame it on hormones and leave it at that.

As Dom joined us in the living room Mia started to tell her story. What little there was. She'd only seen Brian once since 'that day' as she'd termed it. She'd barely spoken to him even then. Just enough to tell him that she didn't want to see him ever again. But she had made sure that he told her everything. That was one plus. So apparently he'd let the Trans take the credit for everything. Well, dead men could tell no lies… or truths as the case may be. With only Brian's word as an account for everything, and absolutely no evidence to the contrary they were forced to take his story as fact and close the case. Especially since there had been no more heists since. Of course that did leave the little detail of how we ended up in the thick of it on 'that day'. Again Brian told a few little fibs. According to his 'report' we'd found out what Tran was doing and had tried to stop him. When we'd failed, he blackmailed us into going on his last job. And since we had been unsuccessful in completing the job, the cops had nothing to charge us with except for the damages to the big wheeler. It was a piss ant charge and the lawyer that Papi had got for Vince had got him off with a few hours of community service, once he was well enough to do it of course. So with everything wrapped up in a neat little package Mia had sent Brian on his way with strict instructions to forget all about any of us.

As soon as he'd left she'd got on the phone to Dom and called us home. For something that had taken up so much of our lives it all seemed to end so placidly. There were no big court cases, or dramatic speeches. It was just done. As pleased as I am about that, it still seemed so anti-climactic. Of course it wasn't really over yet. We still had to tell my parents that they were going to be grandparents. The fallout from that alone would probably be heard clear across the country.

TBC…

Ok so I know, it's been forever since I last updated and I really am very very sorry. I won't bore you, my faithful and loyal readers, with the details that were cause for my absence but I will pose one question to you all.

After seeing the trailer for the new FATF movie I am in a bit of a conundrum. It does not flow with the path I intended to take this story. So I'm leaving the fate of this humble work of fiction in your hands.

a) Do you want to see it end as I always intended?

OR

b) Would you like an ending that will hopefully tie in with the new film?

Personally, I gotta say I'm leaning toward one, and won't say which, but I'm sure those of you who have followed this story from the very beginning will know where my heart lies. This story has been a pleasure to right, and is so close to the end now, it's up to you people. How do you want it to end?

I'll be waiting to hear from you all, and eager to see what you all think.

xx


	23. Chapter 22

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances involved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

**_Chapter 22_**

_Dom's POV_

The day we got home from Mexico is still etched into my brain as if it had only been yesterday. Seeing Mia again was great, but that's not why. And it's not even because we found out everything that happened in our absence. It's for one very simple reason. Eddie and Lucy.

I've come up against some scary people in my life. Between Lompoc and the streets I'd seen it all so it's easy for me to say that very little scared me anymore. But I was scared of going to see Eddie and Luce. Don't get me wrong, I missed them; for all intents and purposes, they were my Mama and Papi. But they were going to kill me. I got Letty hurt. I put her in danger. They were going to have my ass.

But I guess you can't kill the father of your grandchild right? Well at least, future grandchild. Bump in your daughter's belly. Letty still wasn't showing very much. Just a little bump but I also happened to know Eddie and Lucy's view on children being born out of wedlock. Like my parents, they were both strict Catholics. They were not going to take too kindly to me knocking up their baby girl.

We figured it'd be best to get it over and done with. Like ripping off a band-aid. But once we pulled up to their house, I froze. I ain't ashamed to admit it. I froze like a scared little punk. But believe me, if you knew what I knew, you would have frozen too. Letty walked around to the driver's side and opened the door. She reached in and grabbed my hand, pulling me out of the car and up to the front door. You see it wasn't just the fear that was holding me back. Yes, I was afraid of their reactions to everything we were about to tell them and everything they already knew. But I was ashamed too. And that is the harder thing for me to admit to. I'd done the one thing that I'd always promised them I would never let happen. I'd let harm befall Letty. I didn't know how on earth I was going to look Eddie and Luce in the eye.

Letty didn't let me back out though. She opened the door and dragged me inside as she called out for Eddie and Lucy. They came running in and gathered the two of us up in their arms. It was certainly not the reaction I was expecting. And unfortunately, it was only short lived. They pulled away from us, took two full steps back and just looked at us. It was the most disconcerting feeling being looked over like that. Lucy stepped up to me and looked me straight in the eye and as I'd feared, when I looked in her eyes I saw the shame in them. Then she slapped me. She actually slapped me. But she followed it up by giving me a hundred kisses where her hand had hit.

"Don't ever worry me like that again. You hear me?" She looked at me pleadingly. I nodded looking her in the eye. I really wouldn't, I promised myself as well in that moment that I would make sure we never got into any more shit for the rest of our lives. I would not make Luce worry like that again. She rubbed my cheek gently. It hadn't hurt. She's such a tiny thing. But the warmth of her hand was nice. She turned from me, and looked at Lett. She reached over and pulled Letty into her arms again. Flush against her. I guess that's how she found out. She pushed Lett away from her by the shoulders and looked into her face. That's how she knew for sure. She saw the look in Lett's eyes.

Luce turned to me with such an angry stare, before her face softened.

"How long?" She asked and I had to stop myself from smiling at the look on Eddie's face. He had no idea what was going on.

"12 weeks." Lett said quietly. Then I found myself engulfed in another hug. But as quickly as it came it ended. Lucy shrieked and clapped her hands together.

"A baby. Oh how wonderful. A baby." She was so happy. Eddie however, was not. He screamed 'what' so loud I thought the neighbours would call the cops. Then there was a hand around my throat pushing me up against the wall.

"Oh for god's sake Papi. I'm 21 years old. Let him go!"

_TBC…_

Author's Note:

A bit shorter this time, I know, I'm sorry. But I just had to be horrible and leave it like that. =]

Thank you to everyone who reviewed and a big thank you to everyone who's stuck by me though the long journey of this fic. So after receiving everyone's votes I've decided to stick with my original plotline. To hell with Hollywood. Thanks to everyone for you support, there's only about three chapters left now. And I promise, pinky promise, that they will be up asap. No big waits in between. In fact, I'm off to start work on the next chapter right now. So hopefully only a day or two between chapter 22 and chapter 23.

Thanks again everyone,  
And until next time...  
Happy reading... and reviewing. =] xx Ally


	24. Chapter 23

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances involved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

**_Chapter 23_**

_Letty's POV_

--------

"Oh for god's sake Papi. I'm 21 years old. Let him go!" I shouted at my father. He actually had Dom by the throat, up against the wall. All because I was pregnant. We'd been through so much to get to the point where we were happy about where our lives were now heading. I was still happy, even with the little detour of my father's temper. But I was so not going to deal with my Mama's when she found out that Dom and I weren't getting married.

Mama and I grabbed one arm each and pulled Papi off Dom. Dom breathed a sigh of relief when we had Papi a fair distance from him.

"Can't you just be happy for me Papi?" I asked in the sweetest voice I could. I was hoping I would be able to call on the little girl card, and get us off the hook. He gave me a look telling me that he wasn't buying it. It wouldn't be that easy. Looking back it was kinda funny. At the time however, it really wasn't.

"Leticia" That was not a good sign. My Papi only called me that when I was in trouble or he was being nostalgic. Somehow, I didn't think that was a nostalgic moment. "I can't believe you've let this happen. I thought you were smarter than this." He said as he looked at me with disappointment in his eyes.

"Eddie, we didn't mean for this to happen. That's not to say that this is a mistake. It's just unexpected... This is good news Eddie. Really." Dom said in the calmest tone I've ever heard him use. Which, believe me, is saying a lot. Papi looked at him for the longest time, with a hard expression.

"When did this happen?" We weren't expecting my Papi to ask that question. I don't know what questions we were expecting him to ask but just not that one. I suppose we must have looked a little confused and taken a little too long to respond. "How long?" I could tell he had his teeth clenched, his voice was muffled slightly around the pressure. It was a sure sign of a barely held temper.

"Six weeks Papi." I said so softly I almost didn't recognise my own voice. It was so quiet in the room. Papi was still staring and we were all just waiting. Waiting for Papi to either relax or finally lose control of his thinly veiled anger.

"Six weeks means that you were pregnant while you were out there breaking the law."

You could have heard a pin drop in that room. I looked at Dom in a panic, who looked just as panicked as I was, then to Mama, but it was like she was suddenly realising the same thing. I didn't realise I was stepping away from her until Mama's eyes snapped up and stopped me dead in my tracks.

"We didn't know Mama, I swear." I pleaded. I knew that this was something unforgivable in my parents eyes. To knowingly and wilfully put a child's life in danger, and worse yet, with a vehicle. It hit a little too close to home for comfort.

"Eddie, Luce. I swear to you. We did not know. Had we known…"

"What Dominic? Had you known what? You wouldn't have gone? You shouldn't have been out on that highway in the first place. And you sure as hell should not have taken my daughter with you." Papi's voice was so full of anger and disgust it was almost physically painful.

"Now I'm not fool enough to believe that you had to talk her into it, it was more than likely the other way around." Suddenly my father's angry stare was focused on me, but it was gone within seconds and centred squarely on Dom again. "But you are supposed to be the man, the head of the family Dominic. You do not take a 21 year old girl into danger with you no matter what she says or does. You should know better Dominic." And I knew better than to get into with my father about how no one can tell me what to do, he was angry enough. That argument could and would wait.

"I know." Dom's voice sounded so defeated. He hadn't sounded so hollow since that night in Mexico. I hated hearing and seeing him like that. He was too strong, it didn't seem right. Like an ill fit. "You're right. I know I fucked up. There's no excuse, there's nothing I can do about it. I can apologise until the day I die but it won't make it right. Nothing can. I know that. I failed."

Then the most amazing thing happened. My father folded. I watched as his face softened and his eyes took on a look of pain as he stared at Dom. He looked at Dom, all 6 foot and wall of muscle and saw a little boy. As cliché as that sounds. That's what he saw. And it broke him. All the anger washed out of him. Papi reached for Dom, put his hand behind Dom's neck and pulled him into his arms. Once again silence engulfed the room. I looked over to Mama and saw that she was as shocked as I was. My father was a strong, tough man. But he could never be accused of being a cold man. He felt, he loved, he hurt, with passion. And seeing the man in front of him who was like his son broken was enough to break him in return.

I don't know how long I stood there just staring at the two most important men in my life but I suddenly became aware of warmth against my palm. I looked down at my hand and saw my mother's hand holding mine. When I looked in her face she was just smiling softly at me. And I saw it. I saw it in her eyes. In this moment she'd forgiven us. There'd be time for full explanations later, you can be sure of that, but the hard part was over. Mama and Papi had forgiven us for everything we'd done and would support us through anything.

I smiled back at my Mama before looking back at the sound of my father's voice.

"You haven't failed Dominic." He rubbed Dom's head affectionately before pulling back and looking over at me and Mama. His eyes dropped to my slightly protruding stomach as he walked over to me. Papi reached his hand out and touched it gently, almost with apprehension.

"A baby huh?" He said without looking up from my stomach.

"Yeah Papi." I said with a smile. He was getting used to the idea. You could see it on his face.

"It's going to be wonderful honey, a baby and they'll get married soon. It'll be perfect." My Mama soothed.

"Actually, we thought we'd wait a while." Oh my god, did Dom have a death wish? I couldn't believe he just said that. My father pulled his hand away from me like he'd been burnt and snapped his eyes up to Dom. The next thing I know, both Mama and Papi are advancing on Dom. He called out to me for help and I stumbled for a moment before blurting out the first thing I could think of.

"We're going to wait til the baby's born. We want the baby there." I said giving a look that dared him to challenge me in that moment. I didn't mean it. I just had to diffuse the situation. To be honest, I didn't know whether or not I wanted to get married. It seemed to work though. Mama and Papi stopped advancing on Dom and turned to look at me. They both hugged me then Dom, before Mama started gushing about babies and weddings. We suffered through it all, but I actually enjoyed it. I looked over at Dom at one point and saw this far away look in his eyes. He was missing Maria and Tony. I know, cause so was I. I couldn't stop thinking about how wonderful it would have been to have them there.

Later that night, after we all had dinner together, Mama and I were sitting out on the back porch.

"You know, you and Dom are making mine and Maria's wish come true. To be a real family." She took my hand with tears in her eyes. "I really am happy baby. I know how much that boy loves you. I know how much you love him. And I know how much you're both going to love this baby. I'm proud of you." Damn hormones. I started crying. Mama and I held each other as we cried. And that's how Dom found us. He came out, sat down beside me and gathered me in his arms. He would do this many times throughout the next 6 months. And again a couple of years later.

TBC...


	25. Chapter 24

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances involved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

**_Chapter 24_**

_Dom's POV_

I don't think I've ever seen Eddie as angry as he was that night. Not before and not since. I don't blame him. I would do the same thing in his position. Actually no, I wouldn't have shown so much restraint. But the most amazing thing was the love and forgiveness I saw in his eyes. In the end, it was still there. When I was so afraid and so sure that everything I had done would have banished it forever, it remained. It might sound corny or pussy, but it is one of the most precious things to me. The love that Eddie and Luce give me unconditionally. It's something to treasure.

And so is one very sweet memory of that night. It was getting really late, and we were either going to have to head out or decide to spend the night there. So I went out to Luce and Letty on the porch and saw them sitting together, wrapped around each other and crying. Now normally two crying women would be a reason to turn and bolt, but something in the way they were holding each other let me know that there was happiness there, and there was just something so beautiful about it. For a moment Letty looked like the little kid who lived down the street and Luce, like the beautiful woman that my little sister was enthralled with. It was like none of the bad shit had ever happened. That mama would be at home ready to yell at me for staying out so late while pop just laughed quietly behind a car mag. And that Joey would wave from the porch as I made my way down the street to my house.

You'd think that it would make me pissed, or sad, or something… but it didn't. It was surprisingly comforting. Almost as if it was telling me that everything would be ok. That we'd made it through the bad shit and now came the reward. If everything they say about Karma is true anyway.

I walked over to Letty and pulled her into my arms. It wouldn't be the last time over the next 6 months. And as much as I laughed with Vince, who returned home two weeks later, about crazy hormonal pregnant women, I loved every second. Not to mention, did you know that pregnant women get seriously horny? I very much enjoyed that perk of pregnancy.

Finally… we had our baby. She came with very little fanfare on March 24th, a beautiful little girl. Maria Josephine Toretto. Exactly one week before Joey's birthday. Luce was there, in the delivery room with us, while everyone else waited outside. And I mean everyone. Eddie, Mia, Vince, Leon, Jesse. The whole crazy, wonderfully dysfunctional family.

I had been trying to ignore the little looks that had been flying between Mia and Vince. Apparently while we'd been down in Mexico she'd seen him with a whole new set of eyes. By the time that Maria came along they were taking baby steps towards a relationship. I was happy for them. Vince loved my little sis. He had been in love with her for a very long time. And I trusted him with her. After everything that Brian had put her through she deserved someone who wouldn't play with her heart. Who wouldn't hurt her. Someone who was in it for the long haul.

Of course, like all things in our lives, it didn't come easy for them. They had been doing really well. Going out, enjoying each other's company and seemed to be laughing all the damn time. But it was nice. Vince was still living in the house with Mia, Letty, Maria and I, albeit in a separate room to Mia. I'm a good guy, but I ain't that good a guy. That is my little sis we're talking about here. It wasn't a problem though. Actually the only problem we seemed to have those days was a little colic with Ria. Oh, did I forget to mention that? We call her Ria. No one has a name in this family that we can't shorten. Anyway, the heists had managed to get us ahead on the mortgages, Jesse and Vince had both made full recoveries (although Vince did walk with a slight limp) and the businesses were all going hot, everything seemed too good to be true. And you know what they say, when it seems too good to be true, it is.

One Sunday afternoon when we'd all got back from church and were setting up the BBQ in the back yard the last person we'd ever imagined seeing again stalked up the driveway toward us. Brian O'Connor. It had been over a year since we'd last seen him and there he was. Mama and Papi hadn't ever met Brian, but they must have realised from our expressions who he was because they stiffened quickly and Mama picked Ria up out of her high chair and held her close to her chest.

You know, baby's can sense tension. Ria started crying and broke the silence that had engulfed us all. Letty stood up and took her from Mama. I watched Brian watch Letty rock our 6 month old daughter in shock and awe.

"What are you doing here Brian?" It was Mia who spoke first and all eyes fell to her. She didn't look upset or angry or much of anything other than stunned.

"I wanted to see you, all of you. Try to explain. I don't know really." He looked nervous and suddenly, so did Mia. I knew she had meant it when she'd told him that she didn't want him in her life anymore. I knew it as much as I knew she was falling for Vince. I couldn't let Brian waltz in here and try to fuck it up for her. No matter how good intentioned he was. Not to mention, I had a few things I wanted to say to him too.

I stood up from the table and walked over to him. I could feel when Leon and Jesse stood to come stand behind me, and noted absently that Vince had not followed. I remember fighting the urge to turn and see what he was doing. But I kinda figured he was still in his seat beside Mia, supporting her. That was after all his role now.

"O'Connor. I have a few things I want to say to you actually." He smartly stiffened and took a step back from us. "First. You're a son of a bitch. Coming in to my family, my home and lying to my face about who you were and what you were doing. I should break your neck right here… and second… thank you." I took a sick little pleasure in watching the fear and then finally the shock wash over O'Connor's face. "Thank you for doing what you did to help us out." He breathed a sigh of relief right in front of me and smiled. He wasn't going to like what was about to happen, but it had to be done. "That being said. Don't ever come back here again. You're not welcome."

Now I'm not that much of an asshole that I took pleasure in his defeated expression. But when he looked over to Mia for confirmation any sympathy I had for him evaporated. I turned to look at my sister, expecting to see a fuming Vince beside her, basically being held back. But he just sat beside her quietly, and firmly waiting for her to make a decision. As I looked to my sister I saw that any decision that had to be made had been a long time ago.

"You heard my brother. I don't know what you expect to gain from looking to me. I think you should leave now… I'm sorry." The girl was a saint. She'd meant it. She was sorry that he had put himself in this position. To be rejected so plainly and publicly. She didn't like to see anyone in pain, especially someone she had once cared about.

Brian surrendered. He dropped his head and nodded once before looking up and over at Letty and Ria, who was dozing with her head on Lett's shoulder. He smiled softly at them.

"You have a beautiful little girl Dom." I don't know if he had heard that Lett and I had a kid, or if he'd just looked at our little mini-me and known. She was after all both her mother and her father's child. It was quite strange how she looked so much like both sides.

"Thank you. I know." She really was such a beautiful baby. With chubby little limbs and rosy cheeks, big brown eyes, dark curly hair and full, pouty lips like her mama's. The combo made for an incredibly beautiful little girl. I was already worried about her teenage years and keeping boys away from my baby.

Without another word Brian O'Connor finally turned away from us and walked back down the drive and out onto the street. I watched as he drove off down the street with a squeal of his tyres, silently thanking god that all the things that could have gone wrong, hadn't. It was a close call, one we were sure Brian wouldn't try to test again.

And you'd never believe it, but six months later at Ria's first birthday party Mia told us that she and Vince would be moving out. Apparently Vince had secretly been saving all year and had saved enough money for a deposit on a house that had just been put on the market a block over. It was a nice place. Very much like our house. Both needed some work but Vince and I had made a pact that we'd help the other fix up both houses. So with a few tears from the girls and a few awkward handshakes between the guys Vince and Mia moved out two weeks later. You'd think they were moving across states the way Luce, Letty and Mia were going on. It was so unlike Letty to be so emotional. I suppose it shouldn't have come as such a surprise then that she was pregnant. We found out a month later. Another one on the way.

Letty had decided that Vince and I better get our asses into gear fixing up the house then. With two babies in the house there were a lot of things that would need to be done. And she stated in no uncertain terms that Leon and Jesse were going to be helping us. Oh well, was a good time for Mia and Letty to get to know Leon and Jesse's current girlfriends. New ones practically every other weekend. And I had the pleasure of hearing about how annoying, vapid or trampy each one was as we went to bed each night. It's a tough life.

By the beginning of summer the next year Letty was nine months pregnant and the upstairs of the house had been almost completely remodelled. Then on July 10th Anthony Edward Toretto came into the world with a bit more fuss than his sister had. Letty hadn't had such an easy delivery with the little man. But finally after 14 long hours he came screaming in to the world. It was exactly 10 months later, 11 months after Mia and Vince had been married, that little Jonathon Dominic Byers entered the world and I became an uncle.

TBC...

Author's note:  
We're almost there people. Only about 1, maybe two more chapters and an epilogue. That's it. Thanks for hanging in there and for all the great reviews. I really love hearing from you guys, so please keep those reviews coming.

I need to clear something up though. The tears comment in the last chapter. It was supposed to mean hormonal tears. Pregnancy tears. Nothing bad. Only good. =] Sorry if that was a bit misleading guys.

Hope you liked this chapter and I'll be back with another real soon. Promise!


	26. Chapter 25

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances involved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

**_Chapter 25_**

_Letty's POV_

We had a girl that first time. Named her Maria. Maria Josephine. Then we had a boy. Anthony Edward. My Papi loved that one. His only complaint; that they sounded too Italian. He always ragged us about abandoning our Spanish roots when naming our children. We never did get married though. I suppose we will one day. After this one is born. And we swear that this one will have a Spanish name. Somewhere in there anyway.

I can't say this enough though. I never expected that this would be my life. I'm happy about it. Believe me. There aren't any words to describe just how happy I am. But it's unexpected. That's another thing I've learned though. Life is full of unexpected happiness. Most of the time, you end up far from where you started, somewhere you least expected. But along the way, there are things that link you back to the beginning. Like the garage. We both still work there. Me not so much at the moment. I don't think I would fit under a car right now. We still live in the Toretto house. Granted its a bit different now. We did a lot of work on it before Tony was born and since.

Dom, Vince, Leon and Jesse managed to get the entire upstairs remodelled before Tony was born and then moved on to Vince and Mia's house. They finished the remodelling on their second floor before Joey was born. That's what we call Jonathon. A little different from the traditional shortening of the name but Mia and Vince had insisted. Mama had cried and pulled Mia into her arms when she'd told us. It was a very sweet and beautiful gesture. Strangely enough Joey is just like his namesake, despite the fact that they have no blood relationship. I suppose it was just meant to be.

If you'd asked me where I'd be now, a couple of years ago or even 1 year ago, my answer wouldn't have even resembled the life I know now and I'm glad that I would have been wrong. Because I wouldn't change a thing. As crazy as that may sound it's true. I wouldn't even change all the bad things because they all led us right here, to where we are now. I love my daughter, I love my son. I love my man. Dom is a wonderful father. We will get married one day, I would love to call him my husband and be his wife. I never thought I would actually want to get married but then I had never really thought about kids either. Saying that, marriage is not something that either of us really need, but it is something we've talked about and decided that we want. We haven't told Mama yet or she'd be dragging me to venues and churches and talking about dresses and I would much rather spend my weekend right here. In the back yard of our house, that we can now say is finished. The remodelling of the downstairs having had the final touches put on it yesterday when the plumber had turned the water back on in the bathroom.

Sitting here watching my 3 year old daughter show my 1 year old son how to play with his toy. Their cousin giggling from his perch on his grandmother's lap, my mama. Dom and Mia dropped the first names finally after the kids were born. It's just Mama and Papi now. And it's the most amazing thing to see Mia laughing again. She hasn't laughed like this since before Maria died. Dom has never been this happy and I don't think my parents have either. But most surprisingly is that I've never been this happy. In this life that I couldn't have imagined in my wildest dreams, I found a peace I've never known before and a joy more astounding than I ever thought possible, that it's palpable.

I've never felt this grateful for Dom either. There's a respect, trust and love in our relationship now that hadn't been there before. Don't get me wrong, we've always loved, respected and trusted each other, just no where near the extent that we do now. And thank god the passion is still there, stronger than ever. People always say it fades, believe me, it hasn't gone anywhere. We don't fight like we used to, but that hasn't stopped us from 'making up'.

I can't begin to tell you the peace there is in having someone you love, love you and create a life with them. It's amazing. I understand my mama and Papi so much more now. There is no greater joy than holding your child in your arms. No greater pain than when they cry. No greater love than when they smile at you and call you mama. I didn't get it before. I get it now. It's not just about me, or me and Dom. The kids are above everything. They make us better, stronger, greater. Dom used to say that it was like we live two lives; life before you start to drive and life after. I used to agree with that. I still do to an extent. But the two lives you live are really the life before you find love and the life after. Even more so; life before children and life after.

He's a wonderful father you know. Absolutely fantastic. He can make Ria laugh when she's crying. He can pick up Tony, hold him so his head is resting over his heart and he calms immediately. He makes them feel so safe and loved. I can see it. When they look at him, they see a tower of strength, a fountain of love, their daddy. He's their hero. And I completely understand it. Cause as stupid as I feel admitting it out loud, he's my hero too. Not because he's still the fastest driver in California. Not because he's also the best mechanic. Not because he's so physically strong. But because he's the father of my children, the love of my life, and my strength when the world is too heavy to hold up on my own. I don't know what I would do without him and I hope to god I never find out.

He's standing at the grill right now, making lunch, laughing with the guys, teasing Mia. Every now and then he looks over his shoulder toward me and winks or smiles at me. I know the minute his eyes are on me and I make sure I turn toward him every time. It's just a normal Sunday at the Toretto house and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world.

Oh wow. That was a big kick. The little one is active today. Oh no… that wasn't a kick. Someone is suddenly eager to meet everyone. I guess I'm going to have to be somewhere else today after all.

TBC…

Author's Note:  
Ok people. One more chapter and an epilogue to go. I'm posting this chapter now because I won't be able to post anything until monday night at the earliest. So I hope you like this chapter and please review.

Also, I just went over to and have seen that they decided to finally give Letty a last name. Which of course is not that same name that I gave her. But what can you do.

Hope you like this chapter guys, and I'll be back monday or tuesday with the next chapter. xx


	27. Chapter 26

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances involved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

**_Chapter 26_**

_Dom's POV_

Letty went into labor at 12:45 on Sunday 18 November, at 9:08pm that same day we had another beautiful little girl. Isabel Lucia. We had to go with a Spanish name this time. Papi was giving us hell about it. Can you believe I'm a father of three now? And an uncle. My sister and Vince. It didn't take as much getting used to as I thought it would.

Mama is still talking about weddings. How beautiful Mia's was and what a beautiful bride Let would make. She would, there's no doubt. But we're not in any hurry to tell her that we've decided to get married. We'd talked about it before, but in the hospital after Isabel was born I asked Lett. Finally, I know, took me long enough. I'd carried around a ring for about a month before. I had to carry it with me; I couldn't take the risk that Letty would find it. Of course, I could have got the nerve up to ask her sooner, but what can you do?

It wasn't very romantic, but we've never gone into the roses and candlelight stuff before. It was about two hours after Isabel let out her first scream announcing herself to the world. We were in her room, and Lett just looked so beautiful. I was holding Isabel in my arms and I could hear Mama outside the room telling Ria and Tony about their little sister and something just clicked. Letty looked up at me and smiled and I blurted out "Marry Me" with about as much finesse as a plumber trying to do ballet. She just smiled softly at me and said "ok". As tired as she was she managed to sit up and reach out for me. I walked over to her and leant down, Isabel still in my arms and kissed her. Then the strangest thing happened. Lett reached into my pants pocket. Two hours after giving birth and I was stunned, I couldn't believe she was actually getting… frisky. Of course, I'm an idiot. She pulled out the little velvet box and put it into my hand.

"You can give me that now." She said it so calmly. She'd known all along. I still don't know how. But she'd known all along. I gently placed Isabel, fast asleep, into her little cot beside Lett and sat down on the edge of the bed. I opened the box and took her hand. As I slid the ring on her finger I heard Letty let out a little happy sigh. It looked like it had been on her hand forever.

That was a year ago now. You know, it's true what they say; blink and you'll miss your life. It feels like only yesterday that Letty and I were making out in the back seat of my car. And yet here we are now. With a beautiful home. Three wonderful, gorgeous kids and a successful business. But we still make out in the back seat of my car every now and then. To the people from the races it must seem so strange. Like we've become domesticated. But the truth is that this is the life we've always known, the life we were supposed to live, and it is far from strange. This is the life that our parents taught us by their example. Loyalty, love, commitment, honor. Family. It's number one. And soon the last piece of our family puzzle will be in place. Ok deep breath. The music is starting. There's Ria, floating down the aisle in her beautiful white dress, scattering rose Petals as she goes. And there's Tony, smiling brightly as he holds his Aunt Mia's hand, Little Isabel perched on her hip. She's smiling at me as she makes her way toward Vince and I. God my children are beautiful. I still can't believe that I made them. That Letty and I brought these beautiful, great, perfect babies into the world. It's amazing.

Oh my god.

She's beautiful. No, that's not enough. She's more than beautiful. There isn't a word good enough. She's got that same smile on her face, the one she had the day Isabel was born and she told me 'ok'. It's hidden slightly by the veil covering her face. But I can see it. I can see the pride in Papi's eyes as he walks beside her, arm in arm. Most of all, there's Letty. Only Letty. And she's beautiful, and ethereal, and magic. And she's walking toward me, about to become my wife. How on earth did I become this lucky?

I never thought this would be my life. Not in a million years, and especially not after Lompoc. But now that it is, I wouldn't change a thing. Not a moment of the last 20 + years since Joey died. We had to lose them. It was beyond our control. Every event in our lives was leading us here. To this moment. Changing just one small thing, could take this away, and I wouldn't want anything about our lives to change.

Life is unexpected. You're thrown into it. And it's up to you whether you sink or swim. I used to say, that I lived my life a quater mile at a time. And in a sense, that's true. Though now, it's more like a diaper at a time. But looking into Issy's tiny little face, holding her in my arms, while Maria and Anthony play on the floor in front of me, is the most amazing thing. Looking at Lett, she glows and is so incredibly beautiful; I fall for her more everyday. I don't think I'll ever get over the novelty of this. Being a father and being with Letty everyday. The kids have turned me into a sap. But that's just fine. Cause they're mine, and I'm theirs.

As many beautiful things that surround me in my life, I'm still haunted by the pain of the past. I know Let is too. I close my eyes and I see the flames. I see the car that ran Joey down. I see the tubes coming out of my Ma; I see the walls at Lompoc. I see Letty's car flipping. I see Vince stuck on that rig. And I see Jesse riddled with bullets. But then through it all, I see Letty, smiling up at me. I see the kids and I see my family. All of them. Living and passed. And I am thankful. Cause I got to have what a lot of people never get. I got to have those people in my life. If only for a moment. For that I'll always be thankful. And as I say 'I do' right now, the pain in my heart eases, the emptiness that has slowly been closing since Lompoc seals itself up. I'm complete, I'm happy, I'm in love, I'm a father, and as of this minute… I'm a husband.

I wasn't prepared for how right this would feel, how amazing it would be. I didn't think I could be happier than I already was, but it's like the icing on the cake or something. Letty is my wife, I am her husband. I get to call her my wife for the rest of my life and it's amazing.

I don't live my life a quarter mile at a time anymore. I simply live it. Surrounded by the people I love.

TBC...

Ok people this was the **_LAST_** chapter. There is an **_epilogue_** to follow. Which will be up within the week. I'd love to hear from you guys so please, please, please review!!!!!

Thanks,

Ally


	28. Epilogue

Title: Through Another's Eyes

Rating: T

Ship: Dom/Letty

Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances involved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.

Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)

**_Epilogue_**

The red Mazda RX-7 and the purple Nissan 240sx pulled in alongside each other, straight down the middle of the cars that already lined the little cul-de-sac, and into the throngs of people who awaited their arrival. Dominic Toretto and Letty Toretto stepped out of their respective cars with an air of authority that could only be obtained by years of successful domination of the streets. Women flocked to the large man as he headed towards Hector Serrano, but none of them garnered more attention than the perfunctory pleasantries and were quickly scared away by the glare on the face of the Latina woman. And although the eyes of the men in the crowd followed the pretty Letty, they kept their distance and their comments to themselves, all too aware of the large man that she rolled with.

"Yo Toretto. Long time no see brother." Hector called as the big man neared him. "Letty, how's it going girl? Damn you look good." He leered at the girl dressed in her trademark leather skirt, transparent top and chunky boots. A growl from Dom quickly drew Hector's attention away from the pretty woman on Dom's arm. It was incredibly hard to believe that the woman had given birth to three children. She didn't look any different to the 21 year old kid that tore up the streets 5 years earlier.

"How's it going Hector?"

"Sweet man. Your crew not showing tonight homes?" As the words left his mouth two more cars pulled up. Leon Morris and Jesse Cooper stepped out of the cars and headed over to join Dom and Letty. There was however the notable absence of two members of the Toretto crew. "Where's Vince at homes?"

"At home with Mia. She had a baby 4 days ago."

"Oh wow man. That's cool. Send my congrats hey homes?" Receiving a nod from the strangely silent Dom, Hector continued with his duties for the night. "Alright, well let's get this going."

"Hector" Dom stopped him as people started to crowd towards them.

"Yeah." With a jerk of his head Dom motioned Hector away from the crowd.

"This is the last night. Letty and I aren't going to be street racing anymore. We're packing it in."

"What'd you mean, you're packing it in? You're Dominic Toretto, you can't stop racing."

"I didn't say I was stopping racing. I said I wouldn't be street racing anymore."

"Ok man, you got me, what the hell are you talking about brother?"

"Ban was lifted. We're going legit."

"No Shit?"

"No Shit." The big man cracked a smile for the first time that night and Hector couldn't help but smile along with him. "Congrats man." Hector reached his hand out and clasped Dom's.

"Thanks Hector."

"Alright so why don't we make sure you go out with a bang."

"Let's do it."

"Alright everyone, we're starting. Anyone who's in, get over here. The buy in is 10 Gs."

The crowd quickly moved in toward the two men. There were few takers, but finally after a few minutes of shouts and a lot of ribbing, the four racers dispersed to their cars and drove over to the starting line. Dom looked down the line of cars from his usual place on the far right end of the line up. Edwin had joined in determined to finally take a win off the famous Dom Toretto. There were two other regulars that were basically jumping out of their skin at the chance to share the streets with the legend in the red Mazda.

The regular crowd of people lined the street waiting for the go ahead from Leon. Dom took his eyes off the road in front of him and scanned the side lines. His eyes fell almost immediately on the person he was looking for. His wife. She stood there with her arms crossed over her chest looking decidedly bored. He knew different however. He knew that her mind was running a mile a minute. Reciting prayers in Spanish that mama had taught her a long time ago and imagining the end of the race. It was her little ritual, her own little superstition. She pictured the entire race in her mind, all in incredible detail, right down to the last rev of the engine as it slowed after passing the finish line. A part of her, however irrational she knew it to be, felt that if she didn't picture the race ending safely than something would go horribly wrong.

Dom knew all this because late one night when they were younger, Letty and he had been lying in bed and she told him. Basking in the afterglow she'd laid her head on his chest and he'd asked her what she thinks about when she watches the races. She told him without hesitation and described everything in the same impeccable detail that she imagined it. And he was in awe of her for what was not the first time and most definitely not the last.

She must have felt his eyes on her because her head turned slowly toward him and their eyes locked. The look on her face did not waver, the same blank expression remaining despite the smouldering fire that so clearly raged in her eyes. Then suddenly he caught it. The sly little wink of her eye. She was telling him in her own little way that she'd kept her end of the bargain.

Letty's little ritual had ended up being his too. He always wanted to know that she had recited her prayers and pictured the race before he put his foot on the gas. Like some equally irrational part of him believed that it was her that always got him over the line in one piece. That without her he would not only lose, but may not finish at all.

Dom shook his head to dislodge the serious thoughts that had suddenly entered his mind. Actually, if he were being honest with himself, his head had been full of nothing but serious notions all day. He'd been determined to make this last race count. To make it stand out. To make sure that every racer on the streets remembered the name Dominic Toretto. But now that he sat behind the wheel, his foot resting lightly on the gas and the loud musical blaring through the speakers all he wanted was to have fun. Win or lose he was going to enjoy his last race on the streets.

The light they were waiting for went orange, and his hands gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. Finally he saw the flicker of light that let him know it was turning to red and with a speed that none of the regulars could understand Dominic Toretto was off down the street.

He took his time, allowing the other three drivers to stay in line with him for a few seconds before the finish line became clear and everything else disappeared. This is what he loved, this moment. The few precious seconds between the car and the finish. With one last gear shift and his foot pushed as far down as was possible Dom's car flew past the others and easily crossed the finish line first.

As cheers erupted around the street Dom slowed the car down and turned to head back. He ignored the people that were gathering around his car as he completed his own little post race ritual. He'd never admit it to anyone other than Letty but he always took a moment to say thank you for surviving. You didn't live the lives they had without obtaining a very real sense of mortality. Every day you woke up and every night you went to sleep was a blessing. Cause at any moment, for any number of reasons it could all be taken away. Dominic was grateful that this wasn't that moment.

Dom stepped out of the car and was surrounded by congratulations from both familiar and unfamiliar faces; Dom graciously accepted their kudos all the while scanning the sea of faces for one in particular. He found her standing beside Leon and Jesse just waiting. Waiting for him with a small smile on her face and a great pull in her eyes that had him moving toward her in an instant. He tried to keep his gate even and steady as not to run to his girl in front of all these people but by the time that he was mere steps away he didn't have to worry about pretences anymore. Letty dove at him wrapping her arms around his neck and whispering in his ear that she was proud of him.

"Yo, Listen up." Hector's voice rang through the crowd and Dom pulled, reluctantly, away from Letty to look at his old friend. "This is Toretto's last night with us lowly street racers before he goes legit." There was a definite hush in the crowd at Hector's words. "So everyone pack it up back to mine, we're going to give him one hell of a night to remember us all by."

With an almighty cheer the throngs of people ran toward their respective cars and tore off down the street leaving Dom smiling at Hector.

"I didn't know you cared Hec."

"Yeah yeah, can it. I'm just hoping to butter you up so you can get me on the professional circuit hey homes." Hector grinned before getting in his own car and leaving with a squeal of tires.

Dom turned to Letty as the two stood alone on the now empty street. He wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled as hers automatically snaked up around his neck and traced little circles there.

"So what do you think Mrs Toretto, should we make an appearance at this party?"

Letty smiled as she went along with one of Dom's favourite games. "Well since you're the guest of honour, I think we better Mr Toretto."

"We do have children to get home to." Dom stated in his most serious voice and Letty had to stop herself from busting out laughing. As it was she had to drop her head to regain her composure.

"That's true, but I don't think one last night of debauchery with the guys will hurt." Letty looked back up at her husband and smirked.

"I'm willing to risk it if you are."

"Haven't you learnt yet Toretto…? I'll always stick by your side." Letty whispered with a soft, genuine smile. The game had stopped. She meant it. She'd follow him anywhere because she new that he'd follow her too. They'd always stick by each other. They could count on that.

Dom leaned in and gave Letty a decidedly passionate kiss, leaving her breathless when he finally dragged his lips from hers. He pulled her body flush against his own as he engulfed in her his big arms, closing his eyes as he felt her tighten her arms around him.

"I love you." He whispered in her ear, his voice deep and husky and for a moment they both thought about blowing off the party to go park somewhere secluded and private. But they had an obligation to their friends.

"I love you too." Letty whispered indulging herself in one more moment of bliss wrapped in her husband's arms before they had to leave.

They'd attend this party. The last party with these people they'd ever go to. Cause they were a family now, and they had to lead their children by example. No more off the books deals, no more trucks, no more street racing. It was all legit now. And both Dom and Letty found themselves more excited about cars and racing than they had been since the whole incident with Tran and the trucks began.

After all, racing was in them, they bled oil. But now they drove for all the right reasons.

The End…

_**A/N:** Thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed this fic. To those who followed it all this time and never gave up on me. I loved hearing from you all and I hope that this humble little fic of mine was everything you hoped and deserved it to be._

_Your support and wonderful, kind words were always greatly appreciated and humbly accepted in awe. I can never thank you all enough. I only hope that I have done you all justice in the ending I have given our favourite racing team._

_Thank you,_

_Ally_


End file.
